VIDEO: Northland upset Taranaki in Whangarei
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NPC WRAP: On Sunday, a Matt Wright penalty on the stroke of full-time has helped Northland to a boil over 18-17 victory over the highly-fancied Taranaki Bulls in Whangarei.
It doesn’t get any harder for a Championship team than to start their season with three games against Premiership opposition. After losses to North Harbour and Auckland, Northland were in desperate need of a win to kick start their season.
In Sunday’s other match, The Counties Manukau Steelers have broken their duck in dramatic style at McLean Park with a 29-25 crossover win over Hawke’s Bay.
All Black loose forward Shannon Frizell demonstrated his emerging class with a dominant display as part of Tasman’s 32-20 win over North Harbour at QBE Stadium in Albany on Saturday.
Tasman made it three from three in the first three weeks of the NPC Cup for the first time since 2015.
Elsewhere, scrum aficionados had plenty to savour as Bay of Plenty and Canterbury went at it before the defending champions claimed a 31–19 win at the Tauranga Domain on Saturday.
Canterbury had to work hard to contain a Bay of Plenty scrum that had the home team in front 19-14 early in the second half.
But by the final quarter, Canterbury’s know-how and player resource saw them finally quell the home effort which ended their winning start to the season.
While, the Otago Razorbacks are on the board after a withering second stanza in Palmerston North carried them to an astonishing 50-17 Championship victory over the Manawatu Turbos.
This was a vital five points for Otago, winless after its opening two weeks. Ben Herring’s charges, who were threatening in the first half, clicked into gear in devastating fashion, putting on 36 unanswered points. In fact, the Razorbacks scored a vital try on the stroke of halftime, to flanker – and player of the match – Naulia Dawai off a sizzling Jona Nareki break, so the final tally was 43 unanswered points.
Northland 18-17 Taranaki
It was the first time the teams had clashed since Taranaki thumped Northland 50-7 in 2015. Some pundits were picking a similar scoreline this time around with Taranaki rolling into town as a legitimate Premiership title contenders, and coming off the back of impressive wins over Manawatu and Counties Manukau.
It took the visitors just five minutes to get on the board when powerful centre Latu Vaeno charged through a hole for the Bulls.
While that try may have come a little too easy for Taranaki, they had to work hard for all of their remaining points as the match turned into a war of attrition with Northland throwing their bodies into the breakdown, showing no fear on defence and running the ball hard at Taranaki.
After Beaudein Waaka and Matt Wright exchanged penalties, Northland were well rewarded for a period of sustained attack on the Taranaki line when impressive lock Tom Robinson barged over.
With the score locked at 10-10 and time up on the clock in the first half, there was disappointment when a loose pass was scooped up by Manasa Mataele who gassed his way to the line to grab a 10-17 lead for Taranaki at the break.
The physicality ramped up even more in the second half as the two big packs challenged each other at set piece time and at the ruck.
Northland’s second try came through some brilliant hands in the backs though as centre Tamati Tua got put in space to close the gap to 15-17.
Taranaki struggled to get their hands on the ball for the remainder of the second half as Northland controlled the ball and the tempo of the match.
But despite having 75% of the possession in the second half, Northland struggled to make any major inroads into Taranaki’s rock solid defence.
With time up on the clock, and trailing by two points, Northland pressed slowly towards Taranaki’s line. Taranaki lock Jesse Paraete was pinged for leaving his feet at the ruck and Northland had a penalty out in front.
Matt Wright duly knocked over the shot to claim the famous one-point victory and send the Toll Stadium faithful into raptures.
Next week the Ranfurly Shield is back on the line for Taranaki as they host Waikato at the Bull Ring while Northland take on Otago at Forsyth Barr-Stadium.
The scorers:
For Northland:
Tries: Tom Robinson, Tamati Tua
Con: Matt Wright
Pens: Matt Wright 2
For Taranaki
Tries: Latu Vaeno, Manasa Mataele
Cons: Beaudein Waaka 2
Pen: Beauden Waaka
Counties Manukau Steelers 29-25 Hawke’s Bay
Trailing 10-7 at the break but playing some loose rugby, the Steelers tightened up, took their chances and captain and lock Matiaha Martin delivered the knockout blow with a 78th minute try. It was some end to their ‘Storm Week’ and followed three tight defeats.
The Magpies, hitherto unbeaten, will be disappointed they could not close the encounter out in sunny conditions before some great old Hawke’s Bay rugby men of the ilk of Blair Furlong, Neil Thimbleby and Tom Johnson.
The children of Hawke’s Bay captain Ash Dixon brought the match ball out, in a nice Father’s Day touch, but Sean Bagshaw’s charge-down of Tiaan Falcon opened the action from kickoff.
Steelers wing Tevita Nabura bolted for a long-range opportunist try, slightly against the run of play, to open the scoring, but the riposte by player of the day Jonah Lowe was even more spectacular. The Hawke’s Bay flier latched onto a Stacey Ili grubber to toe the ball ahead, twice, before regathering for a startling solo try.
Magpies flanker Josh Kaifa, who ran with vigour, then bombed a try when grassing a Falcon chip. He made up for it, scoring off a lineout drive, the seventh try scored in such fashion by the 2018 Magpies.
The halftime coaches’ call for the Steelers was to hold onto the ball. While they turned over the ball from the kickoff, thereafter there was a lot more grit and discipline to the visitors’ efforts.
No 8 Dan Hyatt ploughed over from a superbly worked lineout move in which Nabura won the ball at No 2.
Then it was nip and tuck, Lowe scoring his second from an intercept, followed by Steelers speedster Toni Pulu sparking a try for the impressive hooker Joe Royal.
A try to replacement halfback Folau Fakatava, after several patient phases, edged Hawke’s Bay into the lead until the final flourish by Martin. Orbyn Leger had almost crossed earlier, but was denied by a trysaving tackle by Falcon.
Counties Manukau will welcome the six-day break before it must face Southland in Invercargill, while Hawke’s Bay hosts Bay of Plenty on Saturday in the unofficial ‘Battle of the Bay.’
The scorers:
For Counties Manukau:
Tries: Tevita Nabura, Dan Hyatt, Joe Royal, Matiaha Martin
Cons: Latiume Fosita 3
Pen: Latiume Fosita
For Hawke’s Bay:
Tries: Jonah Lowe 2, Josh Kaifa, Folau Fakatava
Con: Tiaan Falcon
Pen: Tiaan Falcon
North Harbour 20-32 Tasman
Thriving on the chance for some action after the first few weeks of the All Blacks Investec Rugby Championship campaign, Frizell ran with Michael Jones-like speed around the ground while also providing some ginger in the pack which gave the home unit a good working over in the first half and some key impetus, especially in the set-up to what proved the match-clinching try in the second.
That last try came after North Harbour failed to claim a lineout throw and Tasman built their play with Frizell out on the right flank to interchange passes with wing Tima Faingaanuku before Frizell turned the ball back inside for halfback Finlay Christie to cap a busy game with the try 11 minutes from the end.
There was plenty of vigour in the forward exchanges throughout but Tasman had the better of it in the first half to enjoy a 22-13 lead at the break. Prop Tyrel Lomax, lock Quentin Strange and hooker Andrew Makalio were standouts in a busy Tasman pack. Home lock Gerard Cowley-Tuioti produced a competitive display in an attempt to counter but the momentum was always with Tasman.
Three tries had been posted. In the 14th minute wing Tima Faingaanuku finished off some fine driving play inside him by taking a long pass from first five-eighths Mitchell Hunt.
Just after Cowley-Tuioti showed the home pack were capable of some productive work of their own from a lineout drive by scoring a 20th minute try
Tasman responded with a lineout set play of their own which had Frizell running a dummy line in the middle of the backline which created space for Faingaanuku to come in from his wing and give fullback Will Jordan the chance to use his speed to run in for a try two minutes later.
Probably the most effective phase of Tasman dominance followed with some strong pick-and-goes in the home 22 from which Frizell scored in the 30th minute. In the process of scoring his try he had a head clash with flanker Dillon Hunt who failed to return for North Harbour after failing his HIA test.
North Harbour had moments before halftime when they had the chance to push for a try but were unable to breach the Tasman defensive line and when a penalty chance presented itself the opted for the penalty goal chance which Gatland goaled.
Penalties early in the second half conceded by Tasman proved costly as Gatland was able to kick North Harbour into position and when Gatland was able to launch a cross kick to wing Matt Duffie’s corner, the All Black wing to Britain and France last year soared high to pluck the ball from the air and then go to ground and stretch over the line to score in the corner.
The Scorers:
For North Harbour
Tries: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Matt Duffie
Cons: Bryn Gatland 2
Pens: Bryn Gatland 2
For Tasman:
Tries: Tima Faingaanuku, Will Jordan, Shannon Frizell, Finlay Christie
Cons: Mitchell Hunt 3
Pens: Mitchell Hunt 2
Bay of Plenty 19-31 Canterbury
Scrum power and determined defence were vital assets in the first three quarters of the game for Bay of Plenty. Canterbury nearly scored twice in the first few minutes in the left-hand corner as wings Josh McKay and Caleb Makene were both bustled out by good tackles made by home fullback Kaleb Trask.
But from the second attempt, Canterbury kept the pressure on and it was McKay who scored the first try.
However, the home team ran the ball from their own line and wing Chase Tiatia made a fine sideline break and then kicked ahead to see the ball roll out in the Canterbury 22m. Bay of Plenty won a scrum in the resulting play and Tiatia burst into the backline at speed to break the first line of defence to score a fine try.
Canterbury, under normal circumstances, would have scored just before halftime except for Bay of Plenty’s scrum hard on defence producing a shove to upset Canterbury’s ball. Bay of Plenty won a penalty and cleared their line to go to halftime down 12-14.
More forward power early in the second half saw Bay camped on the Canterbury line and from a drive at the line, the ball was taken from the back of the maul by Judd who ran across to feed second five-eighths Terrence Hepetema in under the posts.
Canterbury’s response was typical, they upped the tempo of the game, applied their own scrum power with lock Luke Romano applying his experience to lead the way both in the scrum and in lineout play. Reward came when in the 55th minute from play on Bay of Plenty’s line, first five-eighths Brett Cameron noticed the bunched home defence so flung a long ball out to McKay who crossed for his second.
The Scorers:
For Bay of Plenty:
Tries: Chase Tiatia, Tyler Ardron, Terrence Hepetema
Cons: Mike Delany 2
For Canterbury
Tries: Josh McKay 2, Daniel Lienert-Brown, penalty try
Cons: Brett Cameron 3
Pen: Brett Cameron
Otago 50-17 Manawatu
The first spell was full of action, but the lineouts and some of the kicking were messy. It was the home side, however, which controlled much of the play, despite Otago No 8 Dylan Nel opening the scoring to finish a movement which featured several pairs of hands.
Turbos centre Rob Thompson and fullback Junior Laloifi were hard to contain and both crossed for tries. Thompson’s came from an inside ball by first five Jade Te Rure, who later had to leave the field with what looked a serious elbow or shoulder injury.
Laloifi’s try came straight after the kickoff for that try and started with another Thompson bust. Prop Faalelei Sione powered over from close range and Manawatu was 17-7 to the good.
Otago was profligate with early possession and prop Hisa Sasagi losing the ball over the line seemed to sum up their disjointed first half output. But it rediscovered its mojo with Dawai’s try, which had its genesis in another scrappy lineout.
Thereafter, Otago was a different side, bolstered by the injection of All Blacks hooker Liam Coltman. The pack started to dominate at the breakdown and at the set phases and the result was five tries in the second spell.
Fullback Michael Collins scored the first of them after a superb build-up, highlighted by a Vili Koroi break. Dawai gave a skilful offload, pushing his hands through the attempted tackle.
Second five Matt Whaanga ran a nice line off to score his try. Prop Donald Brighouse finished an opportunist try off a charge down, Nareki pulled a spin move for his well-deserved try, and halfback replacement Melani Matavao put the icing on a very tasty cake for the visitors.
Manawatu, after some work on the drawing board, travels to Christchurch to face Canterbury next Thursday, while Otago hosts Northland on Friday night.
The Scorers
For Otago 50
Tries: Dylan Nel, Naulia Dawai, Michael Collins, Matt Whaanga, Donald Brighouse, Jona Nareki, Melani Matavao
Cons: Josh Ioane 6
Pen: Josh Ioane
For Manawatu
Tries: Rob Thompson, Junior Laloifi, Faalelei Sione
Con: Jade Te Rure
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