Waikato and Otago had met earlier in the tournament and Otago would have been favourites for this one after defeating Otago 4-3 in that encounter. Finals though often don't replicate earlier rounds so Waikato would have fancied their chances to reverse that result. Despite the weather conditions deteriorating as the match progressed, the ball handling was exceptional and the game held its shape and was of a high standard. After the summer we've had it's not surprising that Touch players know how to handle a wet ball.
Waikato struck early and never looked threatened as they retained their possession well and focused on field position. Otago worked hard to get into good scoring positions but were unable to finish with the same degree of efficiency that Waikato displayed. While the teams were evenly matched, the finishing of Waikato shone through and they kept the touchdowns kicking over.
Both teams ran good scoop plays and got into the in-goal but here Otago faltered, Waikato shone, converting more chances to run out Gold medallists with a 6-2 win and a fine end to the tournament.
Last Modified on 05/03/2012 09:38