'Remember his name': Otago's 'freakish' breakout star inspires Ranfurly win

The Ranfurly Shield has been bouncing around New Zealand in 2025 and arrived at its latest home this week following a superb performance from Otago in Christchurch. Otago’s openside flanker, Lucas Casey, has been turning heads all season, but his magnificent outing against Canterbury has really got the hype train moving.

It was a historic 38-36 win for Otago, one that brought the Shield to Dunedin for the first time since 2020 and won it away from Canterbury for the first time since 1935.

With the visitors missing All Black Christian Lio-Willie, firepower was needed in the loose trio, and Casey delivered with an unmissable performance. Twice did the 22-year-old pry open the Canterbury defence from unlikely situations and run away for five-pointers.

The first saw Casey collect an offload outside Canterbury’s 22 with All Blacks XV flyer Chay Fihaki in front of him. The flanker’s pace saw him evade the cover of All Blacks Sevens veteran Andrew Knewsubb, and helped him get on the outside of Fihaki, with a fend leaving the fullback in the dirt.

Twenty minutes later, Otago were fighting their way back from a 36-21 deficit, something that looked achievable when wing Jae Broomfield crossed in the corner, only for lock Will Tucker to be shown a yellow card as soon as play resumed.

Just minutes later, Casey received the ball in centre field with the Canterbury defence bearing down on him. He powered through the tackle of Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah, skipped the tackle of Newcastle Red Bulls recruit Tom Christie, and accelerated into space. From there, with only Knewstubb to beat in the Canterbury backfield, Casey put in a sharp left-foot step, and the defence didn’t get within two metres of him.

“I have to say, this Otago side could win this whole comp,” Former All Black James Parsons said on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod when reflecting on the match. “They have got some players that are just getting unearthed.

“They’ve got some players that have played some Super Rugby, but probably not frontline starters that are leading the way. But then, a player like Lucas Casey, man, remember his name. Those two tries were freakish, but he hit the most rucks at 33 against Canterbury; he made 15 out of 17 tackles, 11 carries for 120 metres, eight tackle busts, and two line breaks.

“Yes, the tries are amazing, but if you actually just watched him as an individual and the way he got around the field and his work, he led all the stats for both sides. It is, seriously, a massive effort from the openside.”

Born and raised in Kerikeri, Casey played Blues U18 rugby in 2021, then NZ Schools Sevens, before shifting south and representing NZ Barbarians and North Otago en route to his 2024 NPC debut. For Parsons, Casey having a breakthrough season at age 22 signals he was “missed in the pipeline” coming through the ranks in Auckland.

“And I’d say there’d be people knocking on his door for Super Rugby, if he’s not already signed. I’m sure Jamie Jo likes what he’s seeing. I’m sure (the Blues) have seen him, too.

“I’m a little bit late to the party; people have been talking about him throughout this run of Otago’s games.

“That performance though, against Canterbury, against a defensive team, as I’ve credited James Lentjes for the way he’s got that Canterbury defence going, it’s not one that’s very easy to break down, and they did it when it mattered.”