Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay share the lead on 14 points after three rounds of the Bunnings NPC.
However, Hawke’s Bay was forced to work hard and only regained the lead from North Harbour in the final quarter to push home with a strong finish to remain unbeaten.
In a round that saw Otago upset Wellington to claim sixth place and Bay of Plenty concede its share of the lead to third-placed Canterbury, Southland pulled off one of the most startling results when coming back from 0-22 down at halftime to beat Manawatū with 29 unanswered second half points.
Waikato secured a 27-26 win in injury time to beat Counties Manukau.
Southland 29 Manawatū 22
Speed goes a long way in rugby as Southland showed at Rugby Park in Invercargill against Manawatū. Early home errors helped the visitors make all the early running. Centre Kyle Brown was put into space down the sideline from an aimless Southland kick, and support play saw Ngani Laumape score the first try nine minutes into the game. A 15th-minute rolling lineout maul saw hooker Vernon Bason score the second. First five-eighths Brett Cameron landed a penalty goal and, in the 29th minute, fullback Drew Wild followed up his kick and got a pass to give Manawatū a 22-0 lead at the break.
Nineteen outstanding Southland minutes turned the game around. Two strong runs by No8 Semisi Tupou-Ta’eiloa and a penalty lineout set up a drive before hard-running second five-eighths Faletoi Peni barged through the defence to score in the 53rd minute. Quick thinking after a Manawatū obstruction saw home halfback Nic Shearer put a kick into their 22m. Wing Michael Manson opened his after-burners, starting eight metres behind Manawatū’s chasers, to out-speed them to score a superb try four minutes later. Another four minutes later, it was Manson again, stepping past defenders from a standoff position to set up a five-metre ruck, and then debut replacement forward Alex Yallop got the ball down. First five-eighths Dan Hollinshead’s penalty goal gave Southland their first lead in the 69th minute. They capped their win when a chargedown by lock Mitch Dunshea was secured and moved by Southland for 18-year-old replacement Mika Muliaina to put a crossfield kick to debut wing substitute Fletcher Morgan, who regathered his chip kick, again at speed, to score the match-winning try.
Southland 29 (Faletoi Peni, Michael Manson, Alex Yallop, Fletcher Morgan tries; Dan Hollinshead 3 con, pen) Manawatū 22 (Ngani Laumape, Vernon Bason, Drew Wild tries; Brett Cameron 2 con, pen). HT: 0-22
Bay of Plenty 7 Canterbury 21
Impressive commitment through four consecutive rucks by lock Sam Darry opened Canterbury’s scoring 10 minutes into the game with Bay of Plenty in Tauranga. The home responded in the 18th minute when hooker Kurt Eklund was on the back of a rolling lineout maul to score. In the 35th minute, Darry was again close to the ball to pick it up in the goalmouth and find a way around bodies on the ground to score his second.
For 26 minutes in the second half, the Bay looked for a levelling try, but the Canterbury defence held. And in the 72nd minute, replacement halfback Tyson Belworthy changed the attack from left to right when slipping a tackle to feed centre Braydon Ennor. A slightly delayed pass to flanker Cory Kellow allowed the blindside centre to kick along the touchline and then put his height and speed to use to recover the ball and go across for a try that ended Bay of Plenty’s unbeaten status while keeping Canterbury at the top of the ladder.
Bay of Plenty 7 (Kurt Eklund try; Kaleb Trask con) Canterbury 21 (Sam Darry 2, Cory Kellow tries; James White 3 con). HT: 7-14
Northland 14 Tasman 28
Northland’s early miss of a try due to handling issues in the wet near Tasman’s line was punished when Tasman showed superior control after a breakthrough by lock Quinton Strange. Northland blocked the ball, but couldn’t control it and lock Lopeti Faifua secured it to allow Tasman to move it through fullback David Havili and wing Macca Springer before supporting hooker Eli Oudenryn was on hand to score after 17 minutes. A 31st-minute passing error by Northland saw Tasman’s second five-eighths, Levi Aumua, race onto the ball and run 45m to score under the bar. In the 35th minute, Springer pulled off an intercept to race 40m to extend the score.
Three minutes into the second half, Northland walked a lineout maul halfway across the field for replacement hooker Jordan Hutchings to score beneath the posts. Tasman attempted to respond, but a potential try was held up, and it was Northland who scored next after the ball was mauled and released to the backs with fullback Jordan Trainor crossing in the 52nd minute. It took 11 phases, but first five-eighths William Havili’s pass to replacement loose forward Sione Havili-Talitui allowed him to score the final try of the contest. Northland looked to secure a loser’s bonus point in the final phase of the game; however, the slippery ball had the final say with a knock-on suffered.
Northland 14 (Jordan Hutchings, Jordan Trainor tries; Rivez Reihana 2 con) Tasman 28 (Eli Oudenryn, Levi Aumua, Macca Springer, Sione Havili-Talitui tries; William Havili 4 con). HT: 0-21
Auckland 8 Taranaki 50
Eden Park’s scoreboard on Saturday said it all as Auckland was taken to the cleaners by Taranaki, their solitary try scored in the final minute. Wet conditions did not halt the Taranaki side which ran in seven tries, six of them converted by first five-eighths Josh Jacomb who scored three tries and added another 15 points from his boot for a personal haul of 30. Jacomb scored his first try in the seventh minute, beating AJ Lam when breaking inside. Halfback Logan Crowley cut through Auckland at a lineout with support producing a try for wing Adam Lennox. On halftime, a blindside move provided wing Vereniki Tikoisolomone with the try.
The second half was no better for the home team as Jacomb scored after two minutes, courtesy of No8 Kaylum Boshier who fed Jacomb. He passed to fullback Jacob Ratumaitaivuki-Kneepkens who returned the ball to Jacomb who scored. Dropped Auckland ball was then kicked ahead by Daniel Rona and Lennox scored his second in the 57th minute. In the 66th, Jacomb’s speed was too much for the home defence for his third. And Jacomb’s chip kick in the 77th minute was taken by Ratumataivuki-Kneepkens who had replacement forward Sage Walters-Hansen flying through in support to take the pass and score. Game, set and match Taranaki.
Auckland 8 (Xavier Tito-Harris try; Alex Harford pen) Taranaki 50 (Josh Jacomb 3, Adam Lennox 2, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Sage Walters-Hansen; Jacomb 6 con, pen). HT: 3-22
Hawke’s Bay 36 North Harbour 22
North Harbour set the early pace against Hawke’s Bay at McLean Park with flanker Jed Melvin helping set up a 13th-minute passing rush 70m out from the line and to be on hand to take a supporting pass from wing Harlyn Saunoa to complete the movement and score. But in the 20th minute, North Harbour made the mistake of allowing Bay wing Jonah Lowe to run rampant in midfield and give centre Nick Grigg the ball to score the home team’s first. Another mistake, playing halfback Folau Fakatava early at the breakdown, resulted in his taking the advantage to run the blind and score the Bay’s second in the 28th minute. Three minutes later, lock Tom Parsons, out on the wing, took a cross-kick from second five-eighths Kienan Higgins, and scored.
North Harbour was rewarded for a solid period of attack early in the second half, with Melvin scoring his second try. Going into the final quarter, they claimed the lead when wing Sofai Notoa-Tipo crossed, but it was short-lived. As Harbour’s first five-eighths, Oscar Koller, looked to clear from a scrum near his line, his opposite, Hamish Godfrey, charged the kick down, regathered the ball and scored. In the 67th minute, replacement wing Andrew Tauatevalu was just on the field when he got the ball, raced down the sideline and chipped ahead, where the bounce gave Grigg his second try. A tap penalty two minutes from the end saw wing Lukas Ripley cross to complete the scoring.
Hawke’s Bay 36 (Nick Grigg 2, Folau Fakatava, Tom Parsons, Hamish Godfrey, Lukas Ripley tries; Godfrey 3 con) North Harbour 22 (Jed Melvin 2, Sofai Notoa-Tipo tries; Oscar Koller con, pen; Cam Howell con). HT: 19-10.
Wellington 41 Otago 46
Wellington rocked into its game with Otago at Jerry Collins Park in Porirua when a kick-through from second five-eighths Julian Savea saw centre Matt Proctor score the first of 12 tries in the game. Savea’s bullocking run three minutes later took play to Otago’s line where lock Hugo Plummer went over for the try. Otago came back in the 19th minute with a clever try to halfback Dylan Pledger, built on wing Jona Nareki’s superb in-pass to flanker Lucas Casey, who got the ball to Pledger. Three minutes later, Pledger broke around a lineout and repaid Casey’s earlier pass to see him score. In the 33rd minute, off another lineout, Casey ran his way through the defence to score his second. Just before halftime, home halfback Esi Komaisavai scored out wide from a ruck set up by hooker James O’Reilly off flanker Sione Halahilo’s run.
Lock Will Tucker set up No8 Christian Lio-Willi for a run at the line. When he was caught short, Tucker was perfectly-positioned for a pass to score. An intercept by wing Thomas Maiava pulled Wellington closer, and after replacement hooker Asafo Aumua’s charge around a lineout, the lock Akira Ieremia went over in the 51st minute as Wellington reclaimed the lead. Otago struck straight back when a bullet pass from Joseva Tamani put Nareki over. Proctor scored his second in the 60th minute to level the scores at 38-38. But, with 14 minutes left, second five-eighths Thomas Umaga-Jensen was fed into a gap and he out-paced the defence to reclaim the lead. A penalty goal before the end by first five-eighths Cam Millar ensured Otago’s win.
Wellington 41 (Matt Proctor 2, Hugo Plummer, Esi Komaisavai, Tom Maiava, Akira Ieremia tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 4 con, pen) Otago 46 (Dylan Pledger, Lucas Casey 2, Will Tucker, Jona Nareki, Thomas Umaga-Jensen tries; Cameron Millar 5 con, 2 pen). HT: 19-24
Waikato 27 Counties Manukau 26
Counties Manukau were denied their first win of the season when Waikato replacement Tepaea Cook-Savage landed an injury-time penalty goal to secure a 27-26 win at Hamilton. Cook-Savage had missed another attempt 10 minutes earlier. The visitors were on the verge of an upset at the start of the final quarter when replacement back Jackson Rainsford scored, and first five-eighths Riley Hohepa’s conversion gave Counties Manukau a 26-24 lead. The visitors scored first after eight minutes through wing Etene Nanai-Seturo, but two tries in three minutes to Waikato through halfback Rui Farrant and flanker Mitch Jacobson, and a penalty goal to first five-eighths Aaron Cruden took Waikato to a 17-7 lead. Just before halftime, wing Peniasi Malimali scored with the score at the break 17-14 to the home team.
Replacement No8 Hoskins Sotutu scored 11 minutes into the second half, to which Bailyn Sullivan replied four minutes later for Waikato. Rainsford then scored his try as Counties Manukau reclaimed the lead before Cook-Savage had the final say.
Waikato 27 (Rui Farrant, Mitch Jacobson, Bailyn Sullivan tries; Aaron Cruden 2 con, pen; Tepaea Cook-Savage con, pen) Counties Manukau 26 (Etene Nanai-Seturo, Peniasi Malimali, Hoskins Sotutu, Jackson Rainsford tries; Riley Hohepa 3 con). HT: 17-14