Preview: Otago 4/11fav v North Harbour
Sportal.co.nz - (17/09/2012) - 
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Matches between Otago and North Harbour are
notable for odd records and, normally, high scoring. With the way
points racked up in Otago's only previous home game this season, there's
every chance this match could be like several of its predecessors. 0 Comments
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 32; Otago 21, North Harbour 11.
LAST TIME: July 14, 2011 (Dunedin) – Otago 46-29 North Harbour.
WALKING WOUNDED: Otago have been boosted by Tamati Ellison and Ben Smith being made available from the All Blacks, so naturally they move into the run-on XV. There was a bit of shuffling in the loose forwards and front row, but Tony Brown had no major worries to contend with. North Harbour has made a few changes, although most involve the normal interchange between the bench and the run-on XV. James Semple, who was a late scratching before the Manawatu game, returns to first-five and the outside backs get shuffled, while there are also loose forward changes.
FORM:
Otago:
Round 1: beat Northland 46-34 (h)
Round 2: lost to Bay of Plenty 19-31 (a)
Round 3: beat Southland 15-10 (a)
Round 4: lost to Counties-Manukau 12-43 (a)
North Harbour:
Round 1: lost to Waikato 22-42 (h)
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 3-36 (a)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 15-27 (h)
Round 4: lost to Northland 17-18 (a)
Round 5: lost to Manawatu 20-23 (h)
Otago were roundly thumped at Pukekohe last week but that doesn't make them unusual this season; everyone is having trouble with the Steelers. In fact Otago put up stern resistance for most of the game but when Counties managed to get behind the defensive line they normally finished in clinical style and the score mounted in the late stages of the match. Otago made errors under pressure at times, but did enough things well to give the side some solid foundations to build on for this game.
North Harbour looked, for 75 minutes, as if they were going to take their first win of the season but errors and shaky set pieces near their own line gave Manawatu a chance to scramble out with a victory. It was an odd game; Harbour fielded a side to play a running game and then kicked a lot of ball away, and was penned in its own half despite having plenty of possession. For the second week running they let a winning chance slip; closing games out is becoming a problem.
WHO'S HOT: Veteran prop Tama Tuirirangi is giving Otago a steady scrum platform and he does his work around the field; you'll often see him making a tough hit in the close-quarter stuff and he does his share in cover as well. The younger players will be learning a bit from him. Fumiaki Tanaka came to the ITM Cup with a big reputation, and he's lived up to it. His pass is quick and accurate, his work-rate is high and there's no area of the game where his basic skills are lacking. He's the most impressive of a number of good halfbacks going round in 2012. Buxton Popoali'i hasn't set the Leith on fire after a brilliant first match, but he remains a threat that all teams must take very seriously. If he can get more involved this week, he's sure to give the Harbour defence a hard time.
Towering above all other Harbour players last Thursday was Chris Smith, who played an outstanding game in defeat. His lineout work was faultless and despite being marked by a good 'un in Mike Fitzgerald, he was a sure supply of ball. His general play was also of a high standard; if the rest of the team had played to the same level, Harbour would have won in a canter. Harbour had trouble clearing the ball from scrums last week, so pressure will be on No 8 Viliame Fihaki to get it right. He's been around for a while and has played some good footy in that time, so an assured performance will be demanded. Rudi Wulf has been moved to fullback and this should allow him to get into the game a bit more; so far his impact has been limited for a guy of his ability. At his best Wulf is a real threat, so Harbour will be asking him for a big game and Otago will be wary of him delivering one.
WE THINK: Otago are travelling reasonably well at present; both their wins have been hard-earned and they've hung tough for a long time in both losses. Harbour could have and should have won its last two, but the team appears down on confidence and little things are still hurting. It's hard to pick against Otago here; they're just playing the better rugby and, back on home soil, should be good enough to pick up a third win for the year.
TEAMS:
Otago: 1. Tama Tuirirangi, 2. Sam Anderson-Heather, 3. Liam Coltman, 4. Tom Franklin, 5. Rob Verbakel, 6. Gareth Evans, 7. Lee Allen, 8. Paul Grant (capt), 9. Fumiaki Tanaka, 10. Hayden Parker, 11. Buxton Popoali'i, 12. Glenn Dickson, 13. Tamati Ellison, 14. Marshall Suckling, 15. Ben Smith.
Reserves: 16. Shota Horie, 17. Aki Seuili, 18. Adam Hill, 19. TJ Ioane, 20. Brad Weber, 21. Peter Breen, 22. Tony Ensor.
North Harbour: 1. Salesi Manu, 2. James Parsons, 3. Ben Afeaki (capt), 4. Chris Smith, 5. Api Ratuniyarawa, 6. Irwin Finau, 7. Malakai Ravulo, 8. Viliame Fihaki, 9. Bryn Hall, 10. James Semple, 11. Nafi Tuitavake, 12. Francis Saili, 13. Cory Aporo, 14. David Raikuna, 15. Rudi Wulf.
Reserves: 16. Manu Leiataua, 17. Alex Woonton, 18. Glenn Preston, 19. Sam Hayes-Stevenson, 20. Brenton Helleur, 21. Pita Ahki, 22. Luke Devcich.
Petes prediction. Jeez...who cares out of these 2 teams.
They have both sucked to high heaven. Well written article. Harbour coach should be shot because he doesn't allow ball to go to backs who are clearly their strong point.
Otago sucked against Southland but put away their penalties.
So for me it is Otago, because they have their ABs back, and are at home. Plus they've had an exra 48 hrs to get ready for this game.
I hope this game will be shown on internet so I can see what the Harbour backs can do if they ever get the ball. All of them have the potential to upset the home side.
Otago by 3, just in case.
Harbour were once again horrible. They were 20 pts down in as many minutes.
Final score Otago 54-25
Pete says this could go either way. Bookies slightly favour Auckland.
If one discards their last game then Auckland have the muscle up front and agile backs.
If it rains alot then Anscombe won't miss the penalties.
Auckland by 4. True Naki had one heck of a hard game against Canterbury and may fall at this hurdle away from home.
Game over.
Auckland were in superb form.
They won 43-32 with some excellent style.
Taranaki finished with a flourish scoring three tries in eight minutes to secure a four-try bonus point and they went looking for a second as a result of losing within seven points.
MANAWATU v COUNTIES MAN.
Status: Championship
When: Thursday September 20, 7.35pm
Where: FMG Stadium, Palmerston North
Referee: Garratt Williamson (Wellington)
THE STEELERS have already qualified for the Championship semifinals, but coach Tana Umaga will be trying to shield his team from that sort of talk.
You can bet Manawatu captain Nick Crosswell will be firing up his pack to take on this young but highly charged Counties Manukau eight, especially as the Turbos will take a lot out of their stirring second half against North Harbour, whom they finally beat 23-20.
The Turbos midfield is going to be tested, though centre Jason Emery has turned heads in 2012.
HAWKE’S BAY v BAY OF PLENTY
Status: Premiership
When: Friday September 21, 7.35pm
Where: McLean Park, Napier
Referee: Mike Fraser (Wellington)
THIS IS the ultimate Bay Watch, but if the Magpies do not mark up, they will be staring straight down the relegation barrel.
Minus the injured Zac Guildford, they could get nothing going against Southland and now face the unpalatable prospect of heading back whence they came – the Championship.
The Steamers’ Nick McCashin had a red-letter night with 22 points against Auckland, but the loosies Tanerau Latimer and Luke Braid really stood up after a poor night against Counties Manukau.
REFEREE: Mike Fraser
NORTH HARBOUR v SOUTHLAND
Status: Championship
When: Saturday September 22, 2.35pm
Where: North Harbour Stadium, Albany
Referee: Akihisa Aso (Japan)
SURELY NORTH Harbour’s drought will come to an abrupt end soon?
Well, not if Jamie Mackintosh and his mates have anything to say about it.
Playing with real attitude and intensity for the first time in 2012, the Stags hammered Hawke’s Bay 35-7, but they had the emotion of Jimmy Cowan’s 100th game to spark them up.
Harbour did a lot of things better against Manawatu, notably in the lineout where Chris Smith pulled down a lot of ball. But it still has plenty to do after being thumped by Otago.
VENUE & TIME: North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Saturday September 22 @ 1435
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 19; North Harbour 13, Southland 6.
LAST TIME: August 13, 2011 (Invercargill, RS) – Southland 25-23 North Harbour.
WALKING WOUNDED: North Harbour will field a much-changed lineup for this match, although a number of the backline alterations are positional. Three forwards who started against Otago are on the bench, as well as two backs from that match. James Semple has been battling niggling injuries for the past couple of weeks, and he has been given time out to recover. Southland only made three changes from the side that walloped Hawke's Bay, and two of them – at halfback and second-five – are straight swaps between the bench and run-on XV. There was a doubt over Scott Eade during the week, but he will start.
FORM:
North Harbour:
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 3-36 (a)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 15-27 (h)
Round 4: lost to Northland 17-18 (a)
Round 5: lost to Manawatu 20-23 (h)
Round 6: lost to Otago 25-54 (a)
Southland:
Round 1: lost to Counties 9-30 (a)
Round 2: lost to Wellington 8-40 (a)
Round 3: lost to Otago 10-15 (h)
Round 4: lost to Tasman 10-13 (a)
Round 5: beat Hawke's Bay 35-7 (h)
North Harbour had one of those games at Dunedin that everyone will want to forget, although it won't be easy. Harbour played well for five minutes either side of halftime, but Otago controlled the rest of the match and deserved its big margin. Too many Harbour errors – and a lot of those led to points down the other end – meant the visitors could never build pressure and a sixth straight defeat was a certainty long before the end.
Southland finally looked like the Southland of the past few seasons against Hawke's Bay, dominating the forward exchanges and taking advantage of that possession to pile up a score. To score 35 points in one match (26 after halftime) was a huge turnaround for a team that had only scored 37 points in four matches. But the Stags were worth every point and, for the first time after showing possibilities twice in recent matches, they cut the errors down and cashed in on some good team play.
WHO'S HOT: Alex Woonton's selection to start in the Harbour front row has been a while coming, since he has looked good whenever he has taken the field. The scrum certainly holds up better when he's in it, and he has also proved to be a busy worker around the field. Francis Saili again moves into first-five, where he was steady against Manawatu. Although a midfielder by inclination – and a player who uses space cleverly when he gets some – he showed a decent left boot and still had that willingness to run when possible. If he can get the backline going we might see something of David Raikuna, who has been largely anonymous out on the wing for lack of ball. Raikuna can trouble defences with his speed and agility, so using those talents should be well up Harbour's wish list for the weekend.
Southland, after a string of insipid performances, really turned in a good one at Invercargill last week. The hard work was done up front, where every big bloke in a maroon jersey played well. Josh Bekhuis may not have enjoyed the best of seasons, but his work last week had all the power and aggression we're used to seeing from him. He was highly effective. Elliot Dixon was another who has had limited impact in 2012 – in his case through injury – but he was a real menace to Hawke's Bay all day with his strong carries and rugged defence. That forward work gave Robbie Robinson a lot more freedom that he's had in a while, and he made it pay. He looks far happier at fullback, where his vision sparks attacks and he has all the defensive requirements under control. If he's given the same sort of room this week, the Harbour defence will be in scramble mode all day.
WE THINK: At 0-6, you suspect Harbour's season isn't going to get much better but the good news is that it only has a few weeks to run. Southland wasn't looking too flash until last week, but suddenly found the switch and played like the Stags teams that held the Shield twice in the last couple of years. A repeat of that forward power will see Southland home comfortably; they might have only won once at North Harbour until now, but it should be twice by Saturday evening.
TEAMS:
North Harbour: 1. Alex Woonton, 2. James Parsons, 3. Ben Afeaki (capt), 4. Chris Smith, 5. Filo Paulo, 6. Irwin Finau, 7. Sam Hayes-Stevenson, 8. Viliame Fihaki, 9. Brenton Helleur, 10. Francis Saili, 11. David Raikuna, 12. Pita Ahki, 13. Cory Aporo, 14. Rudi Wulf, 15. Luke Devcich.
Reserves: 16. Manu Leiataua, 17. Salesi Manu, 18. Api Ratuniyarawa, 19. Malakai Ravulo, 20. Bryn Hall, 21. Codey Rei, 22. Nafi Tuitavake.
Southland: 1. Jamie Mackintosh (capt), 2. Jason Rutledge, 3. Nick Barrett, 4. Josh Bekhuis, 5. Alex Ryan, 6. Scott McKee, 7. Tim Boys, 8. Elliot Dixon, 9. Nemia Kenatale, 10. Scott Eade, 11. Tim Cornforth, 12. Matt Saunders, 13. Cardiff Vaega, 14. Kade Poki, 15. Robbie Robinson.
Reserves: 16. Brayden Mitchell, 17. Tukiterangi Raimona, 18. Hoani MacDonald, 19. Dion Bates, 20. Jimmy Cowan, 21. Nathan Hohaia, 22. Marty McKenzie.
AUCKLAND v WELLINGTON
This is the game of the round.
Status: Premiership
When: Saturday September 22, 5.35pm
Where: Eden Park, Wellington
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (Bay of Plenty)
AUCKLAND will be backing up after a midweek fixture here against Taranaki, but either way this is going to be a vital game for the home side to keep pressure on the Premiership leaders.
Wayne Pivac has made almost no changes to his backline through 2012, but his forwards need to stamp some authority after allowing Bay of Plenty to walk over them and walk off with the John Drake Boot.
Wellington is coming off a 29-16 bonus-point win over Waikato, and will fancy its chances against its old foes.
This from Planet rugby.
After the Auckland match, the team will stay on the road as they travel to Mount Maunganui to take on Bay of Plenty next Tuesday. To cap off the week the Lions will return home to host North Harbour.
Saturday will be the 41st between between the two sides - Auckland hold the advantage in the history books, claiming 26 wins over Wellington's 14.
Wellington's matchday 22 has only one change this weekend. Ross Filipo has returned from injury and will come off the bench in the number 21 jersey.
Meanwhile, Auckland head coach Wayne Pivac has made three changes to his starting XV, with two of those injury enforced. Ben Lam comes onto the wing to replace George Moala who broke his leg in Wednesday's match against Taranaki.
While Moala has unfortunately been ruled out for the rest of the ITM Cup season, in a positive it was just the fibula he fractured which will see him miss six weeks but return in time for the Super Rugby competition.
With Peter Saili going under the knife to repair a broken thumb, Joe Edwards will make his first start of the season at number eight.
It is a great birthday present for Edwards who turned 19 years of age this week, and Pivac said the youngster was looking forward to the challenge.
"He's come on in games so far and made a great impact and done well. He gets an opportunity to start so that's a fresh challenge for him," Pivac said.
"If you look at Ardie Savea in the Wellington team, he's 18 years of age so it just goes to show this competition is throwing up some great young players and it'll be great to see them go head to head."
With a short turnaround following Wednesday's game, Ofa Tu'ungafasi has been named on the bench, with Angus Ta'avao switching to tighthead as Pauliasi Manu starts at loosehead.
Pivac said the match would be a big test for his team.
"It's going to be a huge challenge for a number of reasons," he said.
"None bigger I guess than the short turn around but certainly that comes down to our preparation in a short space of time, it's really a mental attitude and the players are aware of that. Other teams have turned around good performances and there's no reason we can't.
"The fact that we're playing at home is big for this team with a lot of young players, they love playing here and so hopefully that will negate the freshness that Wellington will bring to the game but they're a strong side and they have quality players."
The teams:
Auckland: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Ben Lam, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Dave Thomas, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Joe Edwards, 7 Sean Polwart, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Andrew Van der Heijden, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Angus Ta'avao, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Pauliasi Manu.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Vella, 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 18 Nathan Hughes, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Auvasa Faleali'i, 21 Simon Hickey, 22 Lolagi Visinia.
Wellington: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Alapati Leiua, 13 Charlie Ngatai, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Matt Proctor, 10 Tim Bateman, , 9 Frae Wilson,, 8 Ardie Savea 7 Scott Fuglistaller, 6 Lua Lokotui, 5 Mark Reddish, 4 Jeremy Thrush (c), 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Eric Sione.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu'u, 17 Solomona Sakalia, 18 Kaipati Gaualofa, 19 Genesis Mamea, 20 Kayne Hammington, 21 Ross Filipo, 22 Lima Sopoaga.
Going to be a cracker of a game.
Auckland got stuffed away from home againt BOP last time and they did not look good.
Wellington on the other hand were always in control last time against Waikato.
Hopefully lima Sopoaga comes off the bench.
Wellington Lions by 15
Game over. Comprehensive win by Orks. In fact it was brilliant. They will win Championship on this performance.
They were 7/1 before this game. I'll bet they become joint favs with Canterbury after this.
NORTHLAND v TARANAKI
Status: Crossover
When: Saturday September 22, 7.35pm
Where: Toll Stadium, Whangarei
Referee: Ben Skeen (Auckland)
NORTHLAND HAS a six-day turnaround heading into this game, while Taranaki has just three after playing Auckland midweek.
There is no Shield on the line, so Northland might feel it can topple another Premiership side.
If Ash Moeke’s radar is still working – he is kicking at 83 percent in 2012 – then anything is possible. But one would think the Taranaki lineout and loosies will have too much starch.
Watch for Rene Ranger versus Willie Rickards in midfield.
In 2011, Taranaki won this fixture 23-16 in Whangarei.
WAIKATO v CANTERBURY
Status: Premiership
When: Sunday September 23, 2.35pm
Where: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Referee: Jonathon White (Auckland)
THIS WILL be the game of the week, pitting the 2011 ITM Cup Premiership finalists against each other at the same venue as last season’s climax.
Canterbury will be smarting at an error-ridden Ranfurly Shield defeat to Taranaki.
This was its first loss as a challenger since 1998, and so the likes of Tyler Bleyendaal and Nasi Manu will need to tighten up their games if they want to beat the Mooloos.
Waikato has problems of its own – it is outside the playoffs zone and badly missing Liam Messam’s energy.
VENUE & TIME: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, Sunday September 23 @ 1435
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 46; Waikato 18, Canterbury 27, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: September 3, 2011 (Hamilton, final) - Waikato 3-12 Canterbury.
WALKING WOUNDED: Waikato has a few injury concerns for this match and most are up front. Jack Lam is definitely gone for the year as he is off for knee surgery, Romana Graham may also be done as his shoulder problem remains, Marcel Cummings-Toone has a neck problem (and it's not his first, as he had a similar injury last year), while Toby Smith was under a cloud with a hamstring strain, although he will play. Chris Gibbes also made three voluntary changes to his backline. Wyatt Crockett was not required for the All Black trip to Argentina, so he returns to bolster the Canterbury front row. Tabai Matson made two other voluntary changes, at hooker and left wing, but otherwise the team is the same as the one that played at New Plymouth.
FORM:
Waikato:
Round 1: beat North Harbour 42-22 (a)
Round 2: lost to Northland 27-29 (h)
Round 3: lost to Auckland 22-32 (a)
Round 4: beat Bay of Plenty 15-6 (h)
Round 5: lost to Wellington 13-29 (a)
Canterbury:
Round 1: lost to Tasman 22-25 (a)
Round 2: beat Auckland 33-11 (h)
Round 3: beat North Harbour 36-3 (h)
Round 4: beat Wellington 20-12 (h)
Round 5: lost to Taranaki 9-18 (a, RS)
As was the case against Auckland, the Waikato forwards dominated territory at Wellington but their opponents made too much ground with the ball in hand. Wellington took advantage of what they were offered to score four tries, as Auckland had a week before, and the loss sent Waikato into no-man's-land in the lower-middle part of the table. If the Mooloos want another shot at the final, they're going to have to lift and do it quickly.
Canterbury gave the Shield challenge a good shot but a couple of errors at vital times meant tries were cast away on a day when points of any sort were gold. Towards the end Taranaki penned Canterbury in its own quarter and eventually bulled over for the decisive try, but the holders had been taking increasing control of the match for 20 minutes or so before that. Canterbury again played a lot of east-west rugby; if they can get go-forward they're a totally different team.
WHO'S HOT: Matt Vant Leven has been around for a while now, but this year is proving to be the Waikato flanker's best yet. He is a non-stop worker and not afraid of getting into the trenches, while his ability to make ground is a factor in his team's attack. Tim Mikkelson is a known danger on attack and solid under the high ball, but Canterbury are likely to send ground troops down his wing on Saturday and his battle with Johnny McNicholl promises to be a good one. If Mikkelson is seen working up the centre as well as down the wing, he's having an impact. Trent Renata is playing his 50th match for Waikato and has been in decent form this year, although he wouldn't mind adding a few percentage points to his goal-kicking stats. His defensive work is good and he runs the ball nicely, so he is proving a reliable last line.
Wyatt Crockett is a big addition for Canterbury, since his power is undisputed at higher levels than this and his work-rate is always impressive. Add to that the fact he has had little game time in recent weeks, and you can expect a big effort from Canterbury's No 1. Another player who will be looking to put in a really big one is Nasi Manu, since his Shield game wasn't one to remember. We've all seen how dangerous he can be on the carry, so Waikato might try him out early and then, if they find he's got his A-game going, might go looking somewhere else. Tyler Bleyendaal is still making his way at first-class level; there's plenty of talent there but he needs a couple of big matches against strong opponents to get the confidence that will set him off and running. Given a good platform and a dry day, this would be a good chance to get one of those big games under his belt.
WE THINK: Waikato is hanging onto the top four, but can't afford to slip up here or they will be two games off the pace - and playing Canterbury may not be the game you want in those circumstances. The Mooloos have won the last two regular season games against Canterbury before losing the two finals, but this time we think Canterbury will get an edge through the forwards and gradually press it home on the way to a five to ten point win.
TEAMS:
Waikato: 1. Toby Smith, 2. Vance Elliott, 3. Ben May, 4. Chris Middleton, 5. Sam Kilgour, 6. Matt Vant Leven, 7. Zak Hohneck, 8. Alex Bradley (capt), 9. Brendon Leonard, 10. Piers Francis, 11. Declan O'Donnell, 12. Jackson Willison, 13. Save Tokula, 14. Tim Mikkelson, 15. Trent Renata.
Reserves: 16. Kalem Chan Boon, 17. Ted Tauroa, 18. Rory Grice, 19. Jono Armstrong, 20. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21. Sam Christie, 22. Joe Webber.
Canterbury: 1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4.Luke Katene, 5. Dominic Bird, 6. George Whitelock (capt), 7. Matt Todd, 8. Nasi Manu, 9. Andy Ellis, 10. Tyler Bleyendaal, 11. Johnny McNicholl, 12. Ryan Crotty, 13. Robbie Fruean, 14. Adam Whitelock, 15. Tom Taylor.
Reserves: 16. Ben Funnell, 17. Paea Fa'anunu, 18. Joel Everson, 19. Luke Whitelock, 20. Willi Heinz, 21. Telusa Veainu, 22. Sam Monaghan.
OTAGO v TASMAN
Status: Championship
When: Sunday September 23, 4.35pm
Where: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Referee: Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty)
WAS THE Makos’ 20-17 last-gasp defeat to Northland last Sunday just a minor blip for one of the more impressive sides of 2012? No doubt we will discover more in this Sunday afternoon Championship clash.
The Makos, though, have got their own Francois Steyn (Andrew Goodman) and Israel Dagg (Robbie Malneek) and will, want to get stuck into the southerners, who played North Harbour on Tuesday night.
Victory there will have kept Otago right in the Championship semifinals race.
BAY OF PLENTY v WELLINGTON
Status: Premiership
When: Tuesday September 25, 7.35pm
Where: BayPark Stadium, Mt Maunganui
Referee: Keith Brown (Southland)
TUESDAY NIGHT Premiership rugby returns to Mt Maunganui, but which side will turn up with the requisite attitude?
The Steamers, who will have played Hawke’s Bay on Friday, showed real signs of emerging from their hibernation with a superb 37-16 shutout of Auckland in Rotorua.
This is another chance to take out a franchise base union. Prop Greg Pleasants-Tate, so good against Auckland, could be up against the Lions’ Jeffery Toomaga-Allen at scrum time.
SOUTHLAND v NORTHLAND
Status: Championship
When: Wednesday September 26, 7.35pm
Where: Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
Referee: Richard Kelly (Taranaki)
SOUTH MEETS North in the Championship to close out round 10.
Much will depend on how both teams back up from Saturday games, but the Stags front-row looks as though it is cranking into gear, while Northland has been inconsistent.
More ball needs to get into the hands of co-captain Rene Ranger, while the Taniwha could do with a few solo tries like the beauty Mateo Malupo scored against Tasman last Sunday.
Harbour were once again horrible. They were 20 pts down in as many minutes.
Final score Otago 54-25
Preview: Auckland v Taranaki
Sportal.co.nz - (18/09/2012) - 0 Comments
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Auckland and Taranaki have been rivals for
120 years and have numerous rugged matches in that history. This week
Auckland is looking to bounce back from a big loss and Taranaki is
trying to stay on an undefeated roll, so another tough contest is on the
way.
VENUE & TIME: Eden Park, Auckland, Wednesday September 19 @ 1935
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 119; Auckland 84, Taranaki 26, drawn 9.
LAST TIME: July 31, 2011 (New Plymouth) - Taranaki 39-11 Auckland.
WALKING WOUNDED: Auckland will be glad a couple of its veteran forwards are available for this one, even if Daniel Braid starts on the bench. Andrew van der Heijden returns to the lineup after missing the Rotorua game, while Peter Saili will take the field rather than having surgery on a broken thumb. The only back change is a straight swap on the right wing, where Dave Thomas gets a start over Ben Lam. Most people thought Taranaki would get Beauden Barrett back for this game, but after four minutes test action in a fortnight he needs to be kept fresh. James Broadhurst was cited after the Shield match but the citing commissioner decided he had no case to answer, so he'll be on the bench. The Shield-holders have made seven changes from the side that played Canterbury, most of which were expected and are straight swaps between the bench and the playing XV.
FORM:
Auckland:
Round 1: beat Hawke's Bay 36-29 (a)
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 11-33 (a)
Round 3: beat Manawatu 59-16 (h)
Round 4: beat Waikato 32-22 (h)
Round 5: lost to Bay of Plenty 16-37 (a)
Taranaki:
Round 1: beat Bay of Plenty 37-22 (a)
Round 2: beat Tasman 49-40 (h, RS)
Round 3: beat Hawke's Bay 22-6 (h, RS)
Round 4: beat Canterbury 18-9 (h, RS)
Auckland fielded one of the youngest teams in its long history at Rotorua last week, and there were times when the inexperience showed. When Bay of Plenty started rolling Auckland made mistakes and the whole thing snowballed at times. The Auks will learn a lot from that game; that's what happens for young guys in provincial rugby. Before that Auckland had been travelling reasonably well and that win over Waikato showed what the team is capable of when it hits form.
Taranaki has just come off a tough three-match Shield run with the Log safely tucked away for a couple of weeks, and it looks as if the side is hitting its best form about now. In both the last two matches Taranaki has held tough in the first half - traditionally a time for a fire-and-brimstone approach from the challenger - before grinding to a point where the pressure all gets too much around the hour mark. If anyone can do that to Canterbury, we're talking about a good team; Taranaki did and they are.
WHO'S HOT: Not many players stood out for Auckland at Rotorua, but it's not too hard to pick out guys who will be important this week. The locking pair, Andrew van der Heijden and Liaki Moli, have a big task ahead since they're up against one of the better provincial combinations and both the Taranaki men have many years and many games behind them. Auckland's lineout is among the better ones this year but they'll face a stern challenge, while the big blokes will need to get around the park and do plenty of hard yards in what will be a tough forward battle. Alby Mathewson has been fairly quiet in recent weeks, so it's probably time we saw a bit more of the running skill he possesses to go with his clearing ability. At his best Mathewson is dangerous around the fringes and, against a strong defensive line, his ability to snipe could prove important.
After three hard Shield defences in consecutive weeks, Taranaki will be looking to tough nuts like Jarrad Hoeata to keep everything on course. He's been solid all year but the big game last Saturday acted as a spur, and he turned in one of his best matches of the season. The new look to the Taranaki backline starts in the halves, where Brett Goodin and Jack Cameron get starts. In recent weeks they've been coming on as closers but both are experienced at this level and they can be relied upon to do the basics well. Cameron is also a steady-to-better-than-that goal-kicker and points off the tee will be important. They'll be under pressure from their opposites, both of whom can make life difficult, and both will need to organise the attack and be sound defensively. This may be one of the more interesting contests within the contest.
WE THINK: It's hard to gauge how much Taranaki may relax without the Shield on the line, or how much Auckland will have gathered from the Rotorua match last week. A promising forecast - generally fine with light winds and only a chance of showers - will please the home side, but they have to get past the Taranaki forwards first. It's a tighter call than it may first appear, but Taranaki are playing well enough to get the nod, even if it's only by a one-score margin.
TEAMS:
Auckland: 1. Angus Ta'avao, 2. Tom McCartney, 3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 4. Andrew van der Heijden, 5. Liaki Moli, 6. Steven Luatua, 7. Sean Polwart, 8. Peter Saili, 9. Alby Mathewson, 10. Gareth Anscombe, 11. George Moala, 12. Hadleigh Parkes (capt), 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 14. Dave Thomas, 15.Charles Piutau.
Reserves: 16. Nathan Vella, 17. Pauliasi Manu, 18. Nathan Hughes, 19. Daniel Braid, 20. Auvasa Faleali'i, 21. Simon Hickey, 22. Ben Lam.
Taranaki: 1. Chris King, 2. Timo Tutavaha, 3. Willie Ioane, 4. Craig Clarke (capt), 5. Jason Eaton, 6. Jarrad Hoeata, 7. Chris Walker, 8. Blade Thomson, 9. Brett Goodin, 10. Jack Cameron, 11. Jackson Ormond, 12. Jayden Hayward, 13. Seta Tamanivula, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Kurt Baker.
Reserves: 16. Sione Lea, 17. Michael Bent, 18. James Broadhurst, 19. Scott Waldrom, 20. Jamison Gibson-Park, 21. Isaia Tuifua, 22. Frazier Climo.
REFEREE: Glen Jackson
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 119; Auckland 84, Taranaki 26, drawn 9.
LAST TIME: July 31, 2011 (New Plymouth) - Taranaki 39-11 Auckland.
WALKING WOUNDED: Auckland will be glad a couple of its veteran forwards are available for this one, even if Daniel Braid starts on the bench. Andrew van der Heijden returns to the lineup after missing the Rotorua game, while Peter Saili will take the field rather than having surgery on a broken thumb. The only back change is a straight swap on the right wing, where Dave Thomas gets a start over Ben Lam. Most people thought Taranaki would get Beauden Barrett back for this game, but after four minutes test action in a fortnight he needs to be kept fresh. James Broadhurst was cited after the Shield match but the citing commissioner decided he had no case to answer, so he'll be on the bench. The Shield-holders have made seven changes from the side that played Canterbury, most of which were expected and are straight swaps between the bench and the playing XV.
FORM:
Auckland:
Round 1: beat Hawke's Bay 36-29 (a)
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 11-33 (a)
Round 3: beat Manawatu 59-16 (h)
Round 4: beat Waikato 32-22 (h)
Round 5: lost to Bay of Plenty 16-37 (a)
Taranaki:
Round 1: beat Bay of Plenty 37-22 (a)
Round 2: beat Tasman 49-40 (h, RS)
Round 3: beat Hawke's Bay 22-6 (h, RS)
Round 4: beat Canterbury 18-9 (h, RS)
Auckland fielded one of the youngest teams in its long history at Rotorua last week, and there were times when the inexperience showed. When Bay of Plenty started rolling Auckland made mistakes and the whole thing snowballed at times. The Auks will learn a lot from that game; that's what happens for young guys in provincial rugby. Before that Auckland had been travelling reasonably well and that win over Waikato showed what the team is capable of when it hits form.
Taranaki has just come off a tough three-match Shield run with the Log safely tucked away for a couple of weeks, and it looks as if the side is hitting its best form about now. In both the last two matches Taranaki has held tough in the first half - traditionally a time for a fire-and-brimstone approach from the challenger - before grinding to a point where the pressure all gets too much around the hour mark. If anyone can do that to Canterbury, we're talking about a good team; Taranaki did and they are.
WHO'S HOT: Not many players stood out for Auckland at Rotorua, but it's not too hard to pick out guys who will be important this week. The locking pair, Andrew van der Heijden and Liaki Moli, have a big task ahead since they're up against one of the better provincial combinations and both the Taranaki men have many years and many games behind them. Auckland's lineout is among the better ones this year but they'll face a stern challenge, while the big blokes will need to get around the park and do plenty of hard yards in what will be a tough forward battle. Alby Mathewson has been fairly quiet in recent weeks, so it's probably time we saw a bit more of the running skill he possesses to go with his clearing ability. At his best Mathewson is dangerous around the fringes and, against a strong defensive line, his ability to snipe could prove important.
After three hard Shield defences in consecutive weeks, Taranaki will be looking to tough nuts like Jarrad Hoeata to keep everything on course. He's been solid all year but the big game last Saturday acted as a spur, and he turned in one of his best matches of the season. The new look to the Taranaki backline starts in the halves, where Brett Goodin and Jack Cameron get starts. In recent weeks they've been coming on as closers but both are experienced at this level and they can be relied upon to do the basics well. Cameron is also a steady-to-better-than-that goal-kicker and points off the tee will be important. They'll be under pressure from their opposites, both of whom can make life difficult, and both will need to organise the attack and be sound defensively. This may be one of the more interesting contests within the contest.
WE THINK: It's hard to gauge how much Taranaki may relax without the Shield on the line, or how much Auckland will have gathered from the Rotorua match last week. A promising forecast - generally fine with light winds and only a chance of showers - will please the home side, but they have to get past the Taranaki forwards first. It's a tighter call than it may first appear, but Taranaki are playing well enough to get the nod, even if it's only by a one-score margin.
TEAMS:
Auckland: 1. Angus Ta'avao, 2. Tom McCartney, 3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 4. Andrew van der Heijden, 5. Liaki Moli, 6. Steven Luatua, 7. Sean Polwart, 8. Peter Saili, 9. Alby Mathewson, 10. Gareth Anscombe, 11. George Moala, 12. Hadleigh Parkes (capt), 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 14. Dave Thomas, 15.Charles Piutau.
Reserves: 16. Nathan Vella, 17. Pauliasi Manu, 18. Nathan Hughes, 19. Daniel Braid, 20. Auvasa Faleali'i, 21. Simon Hickey, 22. Ben Lam.
Taranaki: 1. Chris King, 2. Timo Tutavaha, 3. Willie Ioane, 4. Craig Clarke (capt), 5. Jason Eaton, 6. Jarrad Hoeata, 7. Chris Walker, 8. Blade Thomson, 9. Brett Goodin, 10. Jack Cameron, 11. Jackson Ormond, 12. Jayden Hayward, 13. Seta Tamanivula, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Kurt Baker.
Reserves: 16. Sione Lea, 17. Michael Bent, 18. James Broadhurst, 19. Scott Waldrom, 20. Jamison Gibson-Park, 21. Isaia Tuifua, 22. Frazier Climo.
REFEREE: Glen Jackson
Pete says this could go either way. Bookies slightly favour Auckland.
If one discards their last game then Auckland have the muscle up front and agile backs.
If it rains alot then Anscombe won't miss the penalties.
Auckland by 4. True Naki had one heck of a hard game against Canterbury and may fall at this hurdle away from home.
Game over.
Auckland were in superb form.
They won 43-32 with some excellent style.
Taranaki finished with a flourish scoring three tries in eight minutes to secure a four-try bonus point and they went looking for a second as a result of losing within seven points.
MANAWATU v COUNTIES MAN.
Status: Championship
When: Thursday September 20, 7.35pm
Where: FMG Stadium, Palmerston North
Referee: Garratt Williamson (Wellington)
THE STEELERS have already qualified for the Championship semifinals, but coach Tana Umaga will be trying to shield his team from that sort of talk.
You can bet Manawatu captain Nick Crosswell will be firing up his pack to take on this young but highly charged Counties Manukau eight, especially as the Turbos will take a lot out of their stirring second half against North Harbour, whom they finally beat 23-20.
The Turbos midfield is going to be tested, though centre Jason Emery has turned heads in 2012.
Preview: Manawatu v Counties-Manukau
Sportal.co.nz - (19/09/2012) - 0 Comments
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Manawatu's season has been a bit
up-and-down, while Counties-Manukau's has been mostly up. Therefore the
Turbos need to find a way to do something other teams have been unable
to this Thursday – they've got to stop Counties scoring so many points.
VENUE & TIME: FMG Stadium, Palmerston North, Thursday September 20 @ 1935
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 30; Manawatu 12, Counties-Manukau 17, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: July 20, 2011 (Pukekohe) – Counties-Manukau 32-25 Manawatu.
WALKING WOUNDED: Jason O'Halloran was faced with a long injury list for this match, as he had to pick a side without Ma'afu Fia, Grant Polson, James Oliver, Hamish Gosling and Asaeli Tikoirotuma being available. As a result the team includes a few players who are less experienced, but the solid core up the middle remains reasonably intact. Counties had two bits of good news in the selection room: DJ Forbes is recovered from his eye injury suffered at Albany and will lead the side, while Mahonri Schwalger returns at hooker. Tana Umaga has stayed with the guts of the side that thumped Otago; the other changes see a couple of swaps between the bench and run-on XV.
FORM:
Manawatu:
Round 1: lost to Wellington 11-30 (h)
Round 2: lost to Auckland 16-59 (a)
Round 3: beat Northland 33-20 (a)
Round 4: lost to Tasman 3-27 (h)
Round 5: beat North Harbour 23-20 (a)
Counties-Manukau:
Round 1: beat Southland 30-9 (h)
Round 2: lost to Hawke's Bay 30-37 (a)
Round 3: beat North Harbour 27-15 (a)
Round 4: beat Bay of Plenty 47-13 (h)
Round 5: beat Otago 43-12 (h)
Manawatu scraped home against North Harbour with a late try after not playing particularly well for much of the game, although when it did matter the team managed to put a fair bit of pressure on the Harbour set piece. Manawatu played the territory game well but had to make a lot of tackles, and it will have been made clear that they can't afford to miss as many as they did last week. Squad depth is being tested at the moment, which can only make an already tough game harder.
Counties-Manukau is rocking along, playing an aggressive, expansive style of rugby that is proving very hard to combat. They have only once been held below 30 points (and their own basic errors contributed a lot to that), and the team is confident and willing to try things. When it works, and the backs find themselves in behind the defensive line, tries normally follow. The Steelers have to be one of the form teams in the whole competition, and they're playing well.
WHO'S HOT: For Manawatu to have a shot at winning, the forwards need to control as much of the game as possible. Michael Fitzgerald is one they'll look to, as he has come back from a solid Investec Super Rugby season a better player, and he's now capable of taking command at ITM Cup level. His performance level remains high and constant. Nick Crosswell is another who can be relied upon to do whatever is needed, and he's never been known to hide from the toughest contact. That sort of attitude will be important against the aggressive Counties pack. New halfback Papa Wharewera had the satisfaction of scoring the winning try at Albany, which capped off a good game. He cleared the ball well and chose his plays nicely, showing a clever running and kicking game. It's early days in his career yet, but there are signs he could be a handful.
Jamie Chipman has been a rock for Counties over recent seasons and his return from a long injury lay-off showed he wasn't light years off his best form. He did the full 80 minutes – which was played at a fair clip – and got through it well. He'll be another strong presence in a strong pack. Baden Kerr has been running a nice operation from first-five, not over-playing his hand but choosing his options nicely. When he runs he tears defences open, and his passes normally hit the man who's hitting the gap. He's no mug on defence either, and is quickly becoming a key player in the impressive Counties back division. Winger Frank Halai is a dangerous customer with ball in hand; he's big, strong, fast and tricky and he has the ability to go round or thought tacklers. He may have been a bit shaky under the high ball but if sides keep going that route, it's likely to hurt at some stage of a match.
WE THINK: Manawatu has not recaptured the form of last year, for which injuries and the loss of two key players to the All Blacks are partly responsible. But if they're going to trouble this Counties outfit, they'll need to play at least as well as they did at Whangarei and probably better. Counties has been devastating on attack and miserly on defence – a formidable combination – and the Steelers must go into this game as heavy favourites to win and win well.
TEAMS:
Manawatu: 1. Jared Brock, 2. Rob Foreman, 3. Eric Fry, 4. Reece Robinson, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Nick Crosswell (capt), 7. Callum Gibbins, 8. Mua Sala, 9. Papa Wharewera, 10. Junior Tomasi Cama, 11. Willie Paia'aua, 12. Matenga Baker, 13. Jason Emery, 14. Craig Clare, 15. Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Reserves: 16. Bryn Templeman, 17. David Te Moana, 18. Fraser Stone, 19. Antonio Kirikiri, 20. Karl Bryson, 21. Nathan George, 22. Lewis Marshall.
Counties-Manukau: 1. Simon Lemalu, 2. Mahonri Schwalger, 3. Maka Tatafu, 4. Jamie Chipman, 5. Daniel Adongo, 6. Jimmy Tupou, 7. DJ Forbes (capt), 8. Adam Cathcart, 9. August Pulu, 10. Baden Kerr, 11. Sherwin Stowers, 12. Bundee Aki, 13. Reynold Lee-Lo, 14. Frank Halai, 15. Tim Nanai-Williams.
Reserves: 16. Suliasi Taufalele, 17. Matt Talaese, 18. Sikeli Nabou, 19. Ma'ama Vaipulu, 20. David Bason, 21. Ray Laulala, 22. Tony Pulu.
Pete predicts a very easy win for Counties.
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 30; Manawatu 12, Counties-Manukau 17, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: July 20, 2011 (Pukekohe) – Counties-Manukau 32-25 Manawatu.
WALKING WOUNDED: Jason O'Halloran was faced with a long injury list for this match, as he had to pick a side without Ma'afu Fia, Grant Polson, James Oliver, Hamish Gosling and Asaeli Tikoirotuma being available. As a result the team includes a few players who are less experienced, but the solid core up the middle remains reasonably intact. Counties had two bits of good news in the selection room: DJ Forbes is recovered from his eye injury suffered at Albany and will lead the side, while Mahonri Schwalger returns at hooker. Tana Umaga has stayed with the guts of the side that thumped Otago; the other changes see a couple of swaps between the bench and run-on XV.
FORM:
Manawatu:
Round 1: lost to Wellington 11-30 (h)
Round 2: lost to Auckland 16-59 (a)
Round 3: beat Northland 33-20 (a)
Round 4: lost to Tasman 3-27 (h)
Round 5: beat North Harbour 23-20 (a)
Counties-Manukau:
Round 1: beat Southland 30-9 (h)
Round 2: lost to Hawke's Bay 30-37 (a)
Round 3: beat North Harbour 27-15 (a)
Round 4: beat Bay of Plenty 47-13 (h)
Round 5: beat Otago 43-12 (h)
Manawatu scraped home against North Harbour with a late try after not playing particularly well for much of the game, although when it did matter the team managed to put a fair bit of pressure on the Harbour set piece. Manawatu played the territory game well but had to make a lot of tackles, and it will have been made clear that they can't afford to miss as many as they did last week. Squad depth is being tested at the moment, which can only make an already tough game harder.
Counties-Manukau is rocking along, playing an aggressive, expansive style of rugby that is proving very hard to combat. They have only once been held below 30 points (and their own basic errors contributed a lot to that), and the team is confident and willing to try things. When it works, and the backs find themselves in behind the defensive line, tries normally follow. The Steelers have to be one of the form teams in the whole competition, and they're playing well.
WHO'S HOT: For Manawatu to have a shot at winning, the forwards need to control as much of the game as possible. Michael Fitzgerald is one they'll look to, as he has come back from a solid Investec Super Rugby season a better player, and he's now capable of taking command at ITM Cup level. His performance level remains high and constant. Nick Crosswell is another who can be relied upon to do whatever is needed, and he's never been known to hide from the toughest contact. That sort of attitude will be important against the aggressive Counties pack. New halfback Papa Wharewera had the satisfaction of scoring the winning try at Albany, which capped off a good game. He cleared the ball well and chose his plays nicely, showing a clever running and kicking game. It's early days in his career yet, but there are signs he could be a handful.
Jamie Chipman has been a rock for Counties over recent seasons and his return from a long injury lay-off showed he wasn't light years off his best form. He did the full 80 minutes – which was played at a fair clip – and got through it well. He'll be another strong presence in a strong pack. Baden Kerr has been running a nice operation from first-five, not over-playing his hand but choosing his options nicely. When he runs he tears defences open, and his passes normally hit the man who's hitting the gap. He's no mug on defence either, and is quickly becoming a key player in the impressive Counties back division. Winger Frank Halai is a dangerous customer with ball in hand; he's big, strong, fast and tricky and he has the ability to go round or thought tacklers. He may have been a bit shaky under the high ball but if sides keep going that route, it's likely to hurt at some stage of a match.
WE THINK: Manawatu has not recaptured the form of last year, for which injuries and the loss of two key players to the All Blacks are partly responsible. But if they're going to trouble this Counties outfit, they'll need to play at least as well as they did at Whangarei and probably better. Counties has been devastating on attack and miserly on defence – a formidable combination – and the Steelers must go into this game as heavy favourites to win and win well.
TEAMS:
Manawatu: 1. Jared Brock, 2. Rob Foreman, 3. Eric Fry, 4. Reece Robinson, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Nick Crosswell (capt), 7. Callum Gibbins, 8. Mua Sala, 9. Papa Wharewera, 10. Junior Tomasi Cama, 11. Willie Paia'aua, 12. Matenga Baker, 13. Jason Emery, 14. Craig Clare, 15. Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Reserves: 16. Bryn Templeman, 17. David Te Moana, 18. Fraser Stone, 19. Antonio Kirikiri, 20. Karl Bryson, 21. Nathan George, 22. Lewis Marshall.
Counties-Manukau: 1. Simon Lemalu, 2. Mahonri Schwalger, 3. Maka Tatafu, 4. Jamie Chipman, 5. Daniel Adongo, 6. Jimmy Tupou, 7. DJ Forbes (capt), 8. Adam Cathcart, 9. August Pulu, 10. Baden Kerr, 11. Sherwin Stowers, 12. Bundee Aki, 13. Reynold Lee-Lo, 14. Frank Halai, 15. Tim Nanai-Williams.
Reserves: 16. Suliasi Taufalele, 17. Matt Talaese, 18. Sikeli Nabou, 19. Ma'ama Vaipulu, 20. David Bason, 21. Ray Laulala, 22. Tony Pulu.
Pete predicts a very easy win for Counties.
The weather looks good so the counties' backs should see alot of ball.
Counties by 21
Counties won, but only just 31-28. In fact Manawatu went off to a good start but Counties are an 80 minute side and came good in the en. They got complacent.
Counties won, but only just 31-28. In fact Manawatu went off to a good start but Counties are an 80 minute side and came good in the en. They got complacent.
Status: Premiership
When: Friday September 21, 7.35pm
Where: McLean Park, Napier
Referee: Mike Fraser (Wellington)
THIS IS the ultimate Bay Watch, but if the Magpies do not mark up, they will be staring straight down the relegation barrel.
Minus the injured Zac Guildford, they could get nothing going against Southland and now face the unpalatable prospect of heading back whence they came – the Championship.
The Steamers’ Nick McCashin had a red-letter night with 22 points against Auckland, but the loosies Tanerau Latimer and Luke Braid really stood up after a poor night against Counties Manukau.
//Getty Images
Preview: Hawke's Bay v BOP
Sportal.co.nz - (20/09/2012) - 0 Comments
0 Comments
The Battle of the Bays promises to be a
tense affair, as neither has made a great start to the season and
pressure is coming on both teams to lift their performances and do it
quickly.
VENUE & TIME: McLean Park, Napier, Friday September 21 @ 1935
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 43; Hawke's Bay 18, Bay of Plenty 24, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: August 13, 2011 (Rotorua) -Bay of Plenty 13-32 Hawke's Bay.
WALKING WOUNDED: Hawke's Bay had several midweek concerns, the most serious of which affected skipper Mike Coman (severely bruised hand, not to mention a broken nose) and Ross Kennedy (knee). Both, however, will start. Trent Boswell-Wakefield, who left the field at Invercargill with knee problems, was ruled out early and Zac Guildford is still unavailable. Bay of Plenty will be pleased to have Same Cane back from the All Blacks, bolstering an already powerful loose trio, while Chris Noakes is on the bench following a long injury lay-off. Maru Henry replaces the injured Jack Wilson on the wing, while Mafi Kefu has been named on the bench despite breaking a bone in his wrist last week.
FORM:
Hawke's Bay:
Round 1: lost to Auckland 29-36 (h)
Round 2: lost to Wellington 15-30 (a)
Round 3: beat Counties-Manukau 37-30 (h)
Round 4: lost to Taranaki 6-22 (a, RS)
Round 5: lost to Southland 7-35 (a)
Bay of Plenty:
Round 1: lost to Taranaki 22-37 (h)
Round 2: beat Otago 31-19 (h)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 13-47 (a)
Round 4: lost to Waikato 6-15 (a)
Round 5: beat Auckland 37-16 (h)
Hawke's Bay had a less-than-memorable outing at Invercargill, getting cleaned out in the second half after the game was reasonably close at halftime. The Southland forwards over-ran the Magpies, turning over a ton of ball when they managed to isolate runners and profiting a little too easily. Hawke's Bay spent so much time defending that it didn't even manage to win a penalty in Southland's half. All-round improvement is needed, and it's needed quickly.
Bay of Plenty turned in a good performance against Auckland, bossing the breakdown and playing much smarter rugby. The loose forwards were tremendous, and created plenty of pressure that the Steamers then used to good advantage. While the Bay scored more off mistakes than set plays, they were good enough to take their chances and those points came on the back of a true team effort. It was the side's best game of the season and, on that form, they can trouble anyone.
WHO'S HOT: Hawke's Bay really needs to get its act together, because the side still has not put a full 80-minute on the park and the season's half over. The forwards are battling to work as a unit, so experienced hands like Hika Elliot and Karl Lowe will be asked to lead the way against a rugged opponent. Elliot is a known quality and he has the ability to give everyone a chance to regroup around the ball, which will help Lowe get to where the action is. The flanker was sold a few pups by his own men who ran away from support and got isolated last week, allowing Southland to pinch far too much easy ball. The backs also looked directionless at times, so Tua Saseve might be asked to do some of the hard yards in midfield and set some targets. If the Magpies can get some structure, they might do a bit better against what is sure to be tough defence.
Bay of Plenty will look to its big men to lay the same sort of platform that they did against Auckland, and the scrum was a solid part of it. Greg Pleasants-Tate was strong -he impressed Craig Dowd in the TV commentary box, so he had to be doing a few things right -and turned in one of his best games at this level. Two guys who have not been regulars stood out in the backline: Josh Hall was sharp at halfback, where he cleared the ball nicely and picked his options well, while Lance MacDonald, who only came into the lineup as a late replacement, scored two and had a big hand in another of the tries. This was the sort of impact the team had been looking for over the last few weeks, and it took pressure of some of the others who played better as a result. With the backline rolling, the Steamers looked twice the team they had in some of their other recent games.
WE THINK: Hawke's Bay has to find something more than it has shown so far, or it could be a long night for the home team. It's also forecast to get pretty cold, so accuracy will be essential or the visiting loosies will have a fine old time. It's hard to pick Hawke's Bay; even if they're angry with themselves after Sunday's effort, they're facing a team that looks to be getting it right. It's likely Bay of Plenty will be THE Bay this year, and they could have ten points or so in hand.
TEAMS:
Hawke's Bay: 1. Adrian Barone, 2. Hika Elliot, 3. Peter Borlase, 4. Ross Kennedy, 5. Johan Schoonbee, 6. Tevita Fomai, 7. Karl Lowe, 8. Mike Coman (capt), 9. Chris Eaton, 10. Daniel Waenga, 11. Penikolo Latu, 12. Tua Saseve, 13. Marvin Karawana, 14. Gillies Kaka, 15. Andrew Horrell.
Reserves: 16. Ash Dixon, 17. Brendon Edmonds, 18. Tom Parsons, 19. Kieran Coll, 20. Isaac Paewai, 21. Ihaia West, 22. Nick McLennan.
Bay of Plenty: 1. Greg Pleasants-Tate, 2. Daniel Perrin, 3. Josh Hohneck, 4. Culum Retallick, 5. Leon Power, 6. Tanerau Latimer (capt), 7. Sam Cane, 8. Luke Braid, 9. Josh Hall, 10. Nick McCashin, 11. Maru Henry, 12. Phil Burleigh, 13. Kendrick Lynn, 14. Lelia Masaga, 15. Lance MacDonald.
Reserves: 16. John Pareanga, 17. Tristan Moran, 18. Dan Goodwin, 19. Carl Axtens, 20. Lewis Hancock, 21. Chris Noakes, 22. Mafi Kefu.
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 43; Hawke's Bay 18, Bay of Plenty 24, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: August 13, 2011 (Rotorua) -Bay of Plenty 13-32 Hawke's Bay.
WALKING WOUNDED: Hawke's Bay had several midweek concerns, the most serious of which affected skipper Mike Coman (severely bruised hand, not to mention a broken nose) and Ross Kennedy (knee). Both, however, will start. Trent Boswell-Wakefield, who left the field at Invercargill with knee problems, was ruled out early and Zac Guildford is still unavailable. Bay of Plenty will be pleased to have Same Cane back from the All Blacks, bolstering an already powerful loose trio, while Chris Noakes is on the bench following a long injury lay-off. Maru Henry replaces the injured Jack Wilson on the wing, while Mafi Kefu has been named on the bench despite breaking a bone in his wrist last week.
FORM:
Hawke's Bay:
Round 1: lost to Auckland 29-36 (h)
Round 2: lost to Wellington 15-30 (a)
Round 3: beat Counties-Manukau 37-30 (h)
Round 4: lost to Taranaki 6-22 (a, RS)
Round 5: lost to Southland 7-35 (a)
Bay of Plenty:
Round 1: lost to Taranaki 22-37 (h)
Round 2: beat Otago 31-19 (h)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 13-47 (a)
Round 4: lost to Waikato 6-15 (a)
Round 5: beat Auckland 37-16 (h)
Hawke's Bay had a less-than-memorable outing at Invercargill, getting cleaned out in the second half after the game was reasonably close at halftime. The Southland forwards over-ran the Magpies, turning over a ton of ball when they managed to isolate runners and profiting a little too easily. Hawke's Bay spent so much time defending that it didn't even manage to win a penalty in Southland's half. All-round improvement is needed, and it's needed quickly.
Bay of Plenty turned in a good performance against Auckland, bossing the breakdown and playing much smarter rugby. The loose forwards were tremendous, and created plenty of pressure that the Steamers then used to good advantage. While the Bay scored more off mistakes than set plays, they were good enough to take their chances and those points came on the back of a true team effort. It was the side's best game of the season and, on that form, they can trouble anyone.
WHO'S HOT: Hawke's Bay really needs to get its act together, because the side still has not put a full 80-minute on the park and the season's half over. The forwards are battling to work as a unit, so experienced hands like Hika Elliot and Karl Lowe will be asked to lead the way against a rugged opponent. Elliot is a known quality and he has the ability to give everyone a chance to regroup around the ball, which will help Lowe get to where the action is. The flanker was sold a few pups by his own men who ran away from support and got isolated last week, allowing Southland to pinch far too much easy ball. The backs also looked directionless at times, so Tua Saseve might be asked to do some of the hard yards in midfield and set some targets. If the Magpies can get some structure, they might do a bit better against what is sure to be tough defence.
Bay of Plenty will look to its big men to lay the same sort of platform that they did against Auckland, and the scrum was a solid part of it. Greg Pleasants-Tate was strong -he impressed Craig Dowd in the TV commentary box, so he had to be doing a few things right -and turned in one of his best games at this level. Two guys who have not been regulars stood out in the backline: Josh Hall was sharp at halfback, where he cleared the ball nicely and picked his options well, while Lance MacDonald, who only came into the lineup as a late replacement, scored two and had a big hand in another of the tries. This was the sort of impact the team had been looking for over the last few weeks, and it took pressure of some of the others who played better as a result. With the backline rolling, the Steamers looked twice the team they had in some of their other recent games.
WE THINK: Hawke's Bay has to find something more than it has shown so far, or it could be a long night for the home team. It's also forecast to get pretty cold, so accuracy will be essential or the visiting loosies will have a fine old time. It's hard to pick Hawke's Bay; even if they're angry with themselves after Sunday's effort, they're facing a team that looks to be getting it right. It's likely Bay of Plenty will be THE Bay this year, and they could have ten points or so in hand.
TEAMS:
Hawke's Bay: 1. Adrian Barone, 2. Hika Elliot, 3. Peter Borlase, 4. Ross Kennedy, 5. Johan Schoonbee, 6. Tevita Fomai, 7. Karl Lowe, 8. Mike Coman (capt), 9. Chris Eaton, 10. Daniel Waenga, 11. Penikolo Latu, 12. Tua Saseve, 13. Marvin Karawana, 14. Gillies Kaka, 15. Andrew Horrell.
Reserves: 16. Ash Dixon, 17. Brendon Edmonds, 18. Tom Parsons, 19. Kieran Coll, 20. Isaac Paewai, 21. Ihaia West, 22. Nick McLennan.
Bay of Plenty: 1. Greg Pleasants-Tate, 2. Daniel Perrin, 3. Josh Hohneck, 4. Culum Retallick, 5. Leon Power, 6. Tanerau Latimer (capt), 7. Sam Cane, 8. Luke Braid, 9. Josh Hall, 10. Nick McCashin, 11. Maru Henry, 12. Phil Burleigh, 13. Kendrick Lynn, 14. Lelia Masaga, 15. Lance MacDonald.
Reserves: 16. John Pareanga, 17. Tristan Moran, 18. Dan Goodwin, 19. Carl Axtens, 20. Lewis Hancock, 21. Chris Noakes, 22. Mafi Kefu.
Petes prediction.
BOP. I've backed them a couple of times when I thought they would win easily and come off second best.
I could not understand how a good set of backs could not score more. They also have quality loosies.
BOP by 12
Game over. An excellent running rugby game. BOP were always in the lead.
At 38-23 down, Hawke's Bay looked dead and buried but a couple of lucky bounces went their way.
They ended up winning in injury time 42-41.
Bummer 100% record this week shot.
Game over. An excellent running rugby game. BOP were always in the lead.
At 38-23 down, Hawke's Bay looked dead and buried but a couple of lucky bounces went their way.
They ended up winning in injury time 42-41.
Bummer 100% record this week shot.
REFEREE: Mike Fraser
Status: Championship
When: Saturday September 22, 2.35pm
Where: North Harbour Stadium, Albany
Referee: Akihisa Aso (Japan)
SURELY NORTH Harbour’s drought will come to an abrupt end soon?
Well, not if Jamie Mackintosh and his mates have anything to say about it.
Playing with real attitude and intensity for the first time in 2012, the Stags hammered Hawke’s Bay 35-7, but they had the emotion of Jimmy Cowan’s 100th game to spark them up.
Harbour did a lot of things better against Manawatu, notably in the lineout where Chris Smith pulled down a lot of ball. But it still has plenty to do after being thumped by Otago.
Preview: North Harbour v Southland
Sportal.co.nz - (21/09/2012) - 0 Comments
Southland finally got one in the 'win'
column last week and deserved it, while Harbour got done at Dunedin.
Although Southland does not have a great record at Albany, the Stags
will have to go into this game thinking they can manage what only one
Southland team before them have done. 0 Comments|
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 19; North Harbour 13, Southland 6.
LAST TIME: August 13, 2011 (Invercargill, RS) – Southland 25-23 North Harbour.
WALKING WOUNDED: North Harbour will field a much-changed lineup for this match, although a number of the backline alterations are positional. Three forwards who started against Otago are on the bench, as well as two backs from that match. James Semple has been battling niggling injuries for the past couple of weeks, and he has been given time out to recover. Southland only made three changes from the side that walloped Hawke's Bay, and two of them – at halfback and second-five – are straight swaps between the bench and run-on XV. There was a doubt over Scott Eade during the week, but he will start.
FORM:
North Harbour:
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 3-36 (a)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 15-27 (h)
Round 4: lost to Northland 17-18 (a)
Round 5: lost to Manawatu 20-23 (h)
Round 6: lost to Otago 25-54 (a)
Southland:
Round 1: lost to Counties 9-30 (a)
Round 2: lost to Wellington 8-40 (a)
Round 3: lost to Otago 10-15 (h)
Round 4: lost to Tasman 10-13 (a)
Round 5: beat Hawke's Bay 35-7 (h)
North Harbour had one of those games at Dunedin that everyone will want to forget, although it won't be easy. Harbour played well for five minutes either side of halftime, but Otago controlled the rest of the match and deserved its big margin. Too many Harbour errors – and a lot of those led to points down the other end – meant the visitors could never build pressure and a sixth straight defeat was a certainty long before the end.
Southland finally looked like the Southland of the past few seasons against Hawke's Bay, dominating the forward exchanges and taking advantage of that possession to pile up a score. To score 35 points in one match (26 after halftime) was a huge turnaround for a team that had only scored 37 points in four matches. But the Stags were worth every point and, for the first time after showing possibilities twice in recent matches, they cut the errors down and cashed in on some good team play.
WHO'S HOT: Alex Woonton's selection to start in the Harbour front row has been a while coming, since he has looked good whenever he has taken the field. The scrum certainly holds up better when he's in it, and he has also proved to be a busy worker around the field. Francis Saili again moves into first-five, where he was steady against Manawatu. Although a midfielder by inclination – and a player who uses space cleverly when he gets some – he showed a decent left boot and still had that willingness to run when possible. If he can get the backline going we might see something of David Raikuna, who has been largely anonymous out on the wing for lack of ball. Raikuna can trouble defences with his speed and agility, so using those talents should be well up Harbour's wish list for the weekend.
Southland, after a string of insipid performances, really turned in a good one at Invercargill last week. The hard work was done up front, where every big bloke in a maroon jersey played well. Josh Bekhuis may not have enjoyed the best of seasons, but his work last week had all the power and aggression we're used to seeing from him. He was highly effective. Elliot Dixon was another who has had limited impact in 2012 – in his case through injury – but he was a real menace to Hawke's Bay all day with his strong carries and rugged defence. That forward work gave Robbie Robinson a lot more freedom that he's had in a while, and he made it pay. He looks far happier at fullback, where his vision sparks attacks and he has all the defensive requirements under control. If he's given the same sort of room this week, the Harbour defence will be in scramble mode all day.
WE THINK: At 0-6, you suspect Harbour's season isn't going to get much better but the good news is that it only has a few weeks to run. Southland wasn't looking too flash until last week, but suddenly found the switch and played like the Stags teams that held the Shield twice in the last couple of years. A repeat of that forward power will see Southland home comfortably; they might have only won once at North Harbour until now, but it should be twice by Saturday evening.
TEAMS:
North Harbour: 1. Alex Woonton, 2. James Parsons, 3. Ben Afeaki (capt), 4. Chris Smith, 5. Filo Paulo, 6. Irwin Finau, 7. Sam Hayes-Stevenson, 8. Viliame Fihaki, 9. Brenton Helleur, 10. Francis Saili, 11. David Raikuna, 12. Pita Ahki, 13. Cory Aporo, 14. Rudi Wulf, 15. Luke Devcich.
Reserves: 16. Manu Leiataua, 17. Salesi Manu, 18. Api Ratuniyarawa, 19. Malakai Ravulo, 20. Bryn Hall, 21. Codey Rei, 22. Nafi Tuitavake.
Southland: 1. Jamie Mackintosh (capt), 2. Jason Rutledge, 3. Nick Barrett, 4. Josh Bekhuis, 5. Alex Ryan, 6. Scott McKee, 7. Tim Boys, 8. Elliot Dixon, 9. Nemia Kenatale, 10. Scott Eade, 11. Tim Cornforth, 12. Matt Saunders, 13. Cardiff Vaega, 14. Kade Poki, 15. Robbie Robinson.
Reserves: 16. Brayden Mitchell, 17. Tukiterangi Raimona, 18. Hoani MacDonald, 19. Dion Bates, 20. Jimmy Cowan, 21. Nathan Hohaia, 22. Marty McKenzie.
Petes prediction
Accurate article. Harbour have been terrible. Great backs but they refuse to play wide.
Stags to win easily. They must be confident as ex All Black Jimmy Cowan is on the bench. Plus, Stags have had an extra 2 days rest.
Southland by 18
AUCKLAND v WELLINGTON
This is the game of the round.
Status: Premiership
When: Saturday September 22, 5.35pm
Where: Eden Park, Wellington
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (Bay of Plenty)
AUCKLAND will be backing up after a midweek fixture here against Taranaki, but either way this is going to be a vital game for the home side to keep pressure on the Premiership leaders.
Wayne Pivac has made almost no changes to his backline through 2012, but his forwards need to stamp some authority after allowing Bay of Plenty to walk over them and walk off with the John Drake Boot.
Wellington is coming off a 29-16 bonus-point win over Waikato, and will fancy its chances against its old foes.
This from Planet rugby.
Wellington look to cement their place atop the ITM Cup standings when they take on Auckland at Eden Park.
The Lions will begin another run of three matches in quick
succession this weekend - the side's first game of three in eight days.
After the Auckland match, the team will stay on the road as they travel to Mount Maunganui to take on Bay of Plenty next Tuesday. To cap off the week the Lions will return home to host North Harbour.
Saturday will be the 41st between between the two sides - Auckland hold the advantage in the history books, claiming 26 wins over Wellington's 14.
Wellington's matchday 22 has only one change this weekend. Ross Filipo has returned from injury and will come off the bench in the number 21 jersey.
Meanwhile, Auckland head coach Wayne Pivac has made three changes to his starting XV, with two of those injury enforced. Ben Lam comes onto the wing to replace George Moala who broke his leg in Wednesday's match against Taranaki.
While Moala has unfortunately been ruled out for the rest of the ITM Cup season, in a positive it was just the fibula he fractured which will see him miss six weeks but return in time for the Super Rugby competition.
With Peter Saili going under the knife to repair a broken thumb, Joe Edwards will make his first start of the season at number eight.
It is a great birthday present for Edwards who turned 19 years of age this week, and Pivac said the youngster was looking forward to the challenge.
"He's come on in games so far and made a great impact and done well. He gets an opportunity to start so that's a fresh challenge for him," Pivac said.
"If you look at Ardie Savea in the Wellington team, he's 18 years of age so it just goes to show this competition is throwing up some great young players and it'll be great to see them go head to head."
With a short turnaround following Wednesday's game, Ofa Tu'ungafasi has been named on the bench, with Angus Ta'avao switching to tighthead as Pauliasi Manu starts at loosehead.
Pivac said the match would be a big test for his team.
"It's going to be a huge challenge for a number of reasons," he said.
"None bigger I guess than the short turn around but certainly that comes down to our preparation in a short space of time, it's really a mental attitude and the players are aware of that. Other teams have turned around good performances and there's no reason we can't.
"The fact that we're playing at home is big for this team with a lot of young players, they love playing here and so hopefully that will negate the freshness that Wellington will bring to the game but they're a strong side and they have quality players."
The teams:
Auckland: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Ben Lam, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Dave Thomas, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Joe Edwards, 7 Sean Polwart, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Andrew Van der Heijden, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Angus Ta'avao, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Pauliasi Manu.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Vella, 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 18 Nathan Hughes, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Auvasa Faleali'i, 21 Simon Hickey, 22 Lolagi Visinia.
Wellington: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Alapati Leiua, 13 Charlie Ngatai, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Matt Proctor, 10 Tim Bateman, , 9 Frae Wilson,, 8 Ardie Savea 7 Scott Fuglistaller, 6 Lua Lokotui, 5 Mark Reddish, 4 Jeremy Thrush (c), 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Eric Sione.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu'u, 17 Solomona Sakalia, 18 Kaipati Gaualofa, 19 Genesis Mamea, 20 Kayne Hammington, 21 Ross Filipo, 22 Lima Sopoaga.
Going to be a cracker of a game.
Auckland got stuffed away from home againt BOP last time and they did not look good.
Wellington on the other hand were always in control last time against Waikato.
Hopefully lima Sopoaga comes off the bench.
Wellington Lions by 15
Game over. Comprehensive win by Orks. In fact it was brilliant. They will win Championship on this performance.
They were 7/1 before this game. I'll bet they become joint favs with Canterbury after this.
NORTHLAND v TARANAKI
Status: Crossover
When: Saturday September 22, 7.35pm
Where: Toll Stadium, Whangarei
Referee: Ben Skeen (Auckland)
NORTHLAND HAS a six-day turnaround heading into this game, while Taranaki has just three after playing Auckland midweek.
There is no Shield on the line, so Northland might feel it can topple another Premiership side.
If Ash Moeke’s radar is still working – he is kicking at 83 percent in 2012 – then anything is possible. But one would think the Taranaki lineout and loosies will have too much starch.
Watch for Rene Ranger versus Willie Rickards in midfield.
In 2011, Taranaki won this fixture 23-16 in Whangarei.
Preview: Northland v Taranaki
Sportal.co.nz - (22/09/2012) - 0 Comments
0 Comments
There's been a common theme in Northland's
wins this year, and that is Ash Moeke taking a late kick to win. The
common theme for Taranaki is that (until Wednesday) they've been in
front by halftime and then drawing away over towards the end, so the
longer it stays close at Whangarei the more Northland will like it.
VENUE & TIME: Toll Stadium, Whangarei, Saturday September 22 @ 1935
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 44; Northland 17, Taranaki 26, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: July 29, 2010 (New Plymouth) - Taranaki 19-26 Northland.
WALKING WOUNDED: Northland was very late getting its team published, so it was hard to get a handle on any player changes. After an ordinary performance against Auckland, it was no surprise to see Taranaki make nine changes for this game. Most were voluntary, although Brett Goodin (head knock) and Waisake Naholo (ankle) were not. Kurt Baker, who left the field early with a knee problem, has been named to start and Jack Cameron (head cut) is on the bench. Apart from that, the only residual pain will be in Taranaki tempers, because they hardly played like a top-of-the-table side at Eden Park.
FORM:
Northland:
Round 1: lost to Otago 34-46 (a)
Round 2: beat Waikato 29-27 (a)
Round 3: lost to Manawatu 20-33 (h)
Round 4: beat North Harbour 18-17 (h)
Round 5: beat Tasman 20-17 (a)
Taranaki:
Round 1: beat Bay of Plenty 37-22 (a)
Round 2: beat Tasman 49-40 (h, RS)
Round 3: beat Hawke's Bay 22-6 (h, RS)
Round 4: beat Canterbury 18-9 (h, RS)
Round 5: lost to Auckland 32-43 (a)
Northland hung tough against Tasman, even when it looked as if the game was slipping away during the second spell, and a fine individual try by Mateo Malupo got the Cambridge Blues back on level terms before Ash Moeke, for the third time this season, stepped up and knocked over a match-winning kick. Northland was able to punish Tasman for its mistakes and force the Makos into a few more, so the visitors would have been in a good mood as they made their way back to Whangarei.
Tasman, fresh off a three-defence Shield run, rested a lot of the main players at Auckland and paid the price for some sloppy work, falling behind 13-43 before piling on three tries in the last eight minutes. Taranaki actually outscored Auckland five tries to four, but poor goal-kicking (three from eight) on a night when Auckland didn't miss really hurt. Auckland won't have done Northland any favours with that result, since Taranaki will not want to go home 0-2 from this northern trip.
WHO'S HOT: Rene Ranger has been a star man for Northland this season, often breaching defences with his strong running and ability to offload. The danger he presents has doubled in recent weeks, as second-five Derek Carpenter has been playing with an eye on who is looking to double-team Ranger and directing play into that gap. The pair of them did a great deal of damage to Tasman's midfield defence, and often the substance was Carpenter while the shadow was Ranger. It was a fine example of how a midfield combination can work. Jack Ram had a good game on the side of the Northland scrum, and it would have been a much better one if he hadn't given away a silly penalty and copped a yellow card after the referee lost patience. What he accomplished on the field went a long way towards making up for the binning, and he was one of Northland's best forwards.
Taranaki will be unhappy with the way they played at Auckland, since they spotted the home side a long lead and then couldn't make the ground up. Jarrad Hoeata has been moved to No 8 for this game, which is not his usual spot, and he will be under pressure to tidy up scrumbase ball, an area that Taranaki had problems with on Wednesday. Hoeata had an impressive all-round match, and some of his team-mates could do worse than follow his lead. Jackson Ormond showed good pace down the wing and he is a promising youngster, but perhaps the most impressive Taranaki back was the replacement halfback, Jamison Gibson-Park. He sparked the revival with any amount of good play, his option-taking was spot-on and his skills impressive. A repeat of that performance might see him pushing hard for the starting spot soon.
WE THINK: Northland showed resilience at Blenheim - that was a game that could easily have got away - but they'll need to lift again for Taranaki. The visitors paid for changing half their team at Eden Park, and won't be in any mood to get caught like that again. Both have played some good football in recent weeks but the Taranaki forward power is the clincher when making this call; we think it will be too much and the visitors should get home with a bit in hand.
TEAMS:
Northland: TBC
Taranaki: 1. Carl Carmichael, 2. Timo Tutavaha, 3. Michael Bent, 4. Craig Clarke (capt), 5. James Broadhurst, 6. Kane Barrett, 7. Scott Waldrom, 8. Jarrad Hoeata, 9. Chris Smylie, 10. James Marshall, 11. Frazier Climo, 12. Jayden Hayward, 13. Willie Rickards, 14. Jackson Ormond, 15. Kurt Baker.
Reserves: 16. Sione Lea, 17. Chris King, 18. Jason Eaton, 19. Blade Thomson, 20. Jamison Gibson-Park, 21. Jack Cameron, 22. Isaia Tuifua or Seta Tamanivula.
REFEREE: Ben Skeen
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 44; Northland 17, Taranaki 26, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: July 29, 2010 (New Plymouth) - Taranaki 19-26 Northland.
WALKING WOUNDED: Northland was very late getting its team published, so it was hard to get a handle on any player changes. After an ordinary performance against Auckland, it was no surprise to see Taranaki make nine changes for this game. Most were voluntary, although Brett Goodin (head knock) and Waisake Naholo (ankle) were not. Kurt Baker, who left the field early with a knee problem, has been named to start and Jack Cameron (head cut) is on the bench. Apart from that, the only residual pain will be in Taranaki tempers, because they hardly played like a top-of-the-table side at Eden Park.
FORM:
Northland:
Round 1: lost to Otago 34-46 (a)
Round 2: beat Waikato 29-27 (a)
Round 3: lost to Manawatu 20-33 (h)
Round 4: beat North Harbour 18-17 (h)
Round 5: beat Tasman 20-17 (a)
Taranaki:
Round 1: beat Bay of Plenty 37-22 (a)
Round 2: beat Tasman 49-40 (h, RS)
Round 3: beat Hawke's Bay 22-6 (h, RS)
Round 4: beat Canterbury 18-9 (h, RS)
Round 5: lost to Auckland 32-43 (a)
Northland hung tough against Tasman, even when it looked as if the game was slipping away during the second spell, and a fine individual try by Mateo Malupo got the Cambridge Blues back on level terms before Ash Moeke, for the third time this season, stepped up and knocked over a match-winning kick. Northland was able to punish Tasman for its mistakes and force the Makos into a few more, so the visitors would have been in a good mood as they made their way back to Whangarei.
Tasman, fresh off a three-defence Shield run, rested a lot of the main players at Auckland and paid the price for some sloppy work, falling behind 13-43 before piling on three tries in the last eight minutes. Taranaki actually outscored Auckland five tries to four, but poor goal-kicking (three from eight) on a night when Auckland didn't miss really hurt. Auckland won't have done Northland any favours with that result, since Taranaki will not want to go home 0-2 from this northern trip.
WHO'S HOT: Rene Ranger has been a star man for Northland this season, often breaching defences with his strong running and ability to offload. The danger he presents has doubled in recent weeks, as second-five Derek Carpenter has been playing with an eye on who is looking to double-team Ranger and directing play into that gap. The pair of them did a great deal of damage to Tasman's midfield defence, and often the substance was Carpenter while the shadow was Ranger. It was a fine example of how a midfield combination can work. Jack Ram had a good game on the side of the Northland scrum, and it would have been a much better one if he hadn't given away a silly penalty and copped a yellow card after the referee lost patience. What he accomplished on the field went a long way towards making up for the binning, and he was one of Northland's best forwards.
Taranaki will be unhappy with the way they played at Auckland, since they spotted the home side a long lead and then couldn't make the ground up. Jarrad Hoeata has been moved to No 8 for this game, which is not his usual spot, and he will be under pressure to tidy up scrumbase ball, an area that Taranaki had problems with on Wednesday. Hoeata had an impressive all-round match, and some of his team-mates could do worse than follow his lead. Jackson Ormond showed good pace down the wing and he is a promising youngster, but perhaps the most impressive Taranaki back was the replacement halfback, Jamison Gibson-Park. He sparked the revival with any amount of good play, his option-taking was spot-on and his skills impressive. A repeat of that performance might see him pushing hard for the starting spot soon.
WE THINK: Northland showed resilience at Blenheim - that was a game that could easily have got away - but they'll need to lift again for Taranaki. The visitors paid for changing half their team at Eden Park, and won't be in any mood to get caught like that again. Both have played some good football in recent weeks but the Taranaki forward power is the clincher when making this call; we think it will be too much and the visitors should get home with a bit in hand.
TEAMS:
Northland: TBC
Taranaki: 1. Carl Carmichael, 2. Timo Tutavaha, 3. Michael Bent, 4. Craig Clarke (capt), 5. James Broadhurst, 6. Kane Barrett, 7. Scott Waldrom, 8. Jarrad Hoeata, 9. Chris Smylie, 10. James Marshall, 11. Frazier Climo, 12. Jayden Hayward, 13. Willie Rickards, 14. Jackson Ormond, 15. Kurt Baker.
Reserves: 16. Sione Lea, 17. Chris King, 18. Jason Eaton, 19. Blade Thomson, 20. Jamison Gibson-Park, 21. Jack Cameron, 22. Isaia Tuifua or Seta Tamanivula.
REFEREE: Ben Skeen
Even without knowing Northland team sheet, it has to be the Naki by 12
WAIKATO v CANTERBURY
Status: Premiership
When: Sunday September 23, 2.35pm
Where: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Referee: Jonathon White (Auckland)
THIS WILL be the game of the week, pitting the 2011 ITM Cup Premiership finalists against each other at the same venue as last season’s climax.
Canterbury will be smarting at an error-ridden Ranfurly Shield defeat to Taranaki.
This was its first loss as a challenger since 1998, and so the likes of Tyler Bleyendaal and Nasi Manu will need to tighten up their games if they want to beat the Mooloos.
Waikato has problems of its own – it is outside the playoffs zone and badly missing Liam Messam’s energy.
//Getty Images
Preview: Waikato v Canterbury
Sportal.co.nz - (22/09/2012) - 0 Comments
These teams have met in the last two
finals, with Canterbury winning both. Obviously that's a spur for
Waikato, but they'll need to be a lot more accurate than they have been
in recent weeks, while Canterbury missed out on the Ranfurly Shield and
will therefore be looking to make someone pay. Buckle in for a big one
at Hamilton. 0 Comments|
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 46; Waikato 18, Canterbury 27, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: September 3, 2011 (Hamilton, final) - Waikato 3-12 Canterbury.
WALKING WOUNDED: Waikato has a few injury concerns for this match and most are up front. Jack Lam is definitely gone for the year as he is off for knee surgery, Romana Graham may also be done as his shoulder problem remains, Marcel Cummings-Toone has a neck problem (and it's not his first, as he had a similar injury last year), while Toby Smith was under a cloud with a hamstring strain, although he will play. Chris Gibbes also made three voluntary changes to his backline. Wyatt Crockett was not required for the All Black trip to Argentina, so he returns to bolster the Canterbury front row. Tabai Matson made two other voluntary changes, at hooker and left wing, but otherwise the team is the same as the one that played at New Plymouth.
FORM:
Waikato:
Round 1: beat North Harbour 42-22 (a)
Round 2: lost to Northland 27-29 (h)
Round 3: lost to Auckland 22-32 (a)
Round 4: beat Bay of Plenty 15-6 (h)
Round 5: lost to Wellington 13-29 (a)
Canterbury:
Round 1: lost to Tasman 22-25 (a)
Round 2: beat Auckland 33-11 (h)
Round 3: beat North Harbour 36-3 (h)
Round 4: beat Wellington 20-12 (h)
Round 5: lost to Taranaki 9-18 (a, RS)
As was the case against Auckland, the Waikato forwards dominated territory at Wellington but their opponents made too much ground with the ball in hand. Wellington took advantage of what they were offered to score four tries, as Auckland had a week before, and the loss sent Waikato into no-man's-land in the lower-middle part of the table. If the Mooloos want another shot at the final, they're going to have to lift and do it quickly.
Canterbury gave the Shield challenge a good shot but a couple of errors at vital times meant tries were cast away on a day when points of any sort were gold. Towards the end Taranaki penned Canterbury in its own quarter and eventually bulled over for the decisive try, but the holders had been taking increasing control of the match for 20 minutes or so before that. Canterbury again played a lot of east-west rugby; if they can get go-forward they're a totally different team.
WHO'S HOT: Matt Vant Leven has been around for a while now, but this year is proving to be the Waikato flanker's best yet. He is a non-stop worker and not afraid of getting into the trenches, while his ability to make ground is a factor in his team's attack. Tim Mikkelson is a known danger on attack and solid under the high ball, but Canterbury are likely to send ground troops down his wing on Saturday and his battle with Johnny McNicholl promises to be a good one. If Mikkelson is seen working up the centre as well as down the wing, he's having an impact. Trent Renata is playing his 50th match for Waikato and has been in decent form this year, although he wouldn't mind adding a few percentage points to his goal-kicking stats. His defensive work is good and he runs the ball nicely, so he is proving a reliable last line.
Wyatt Crockett is a big addition for Canterbury, since his power is undisputed at higher levels than this and his work-rate is always impressive. Add to that the fact he has had little game time in recent weeks, and you can expect a big effort from Canterbury's No 1. Another player who will be looking to put in a really big one is Nasi Manu, since his Shield game wasn't one to remember. We've all seen how dangerous he can be on the carry, so Waikato might try him out early and then, if they find he's got his A-game going, might go looking somewhere else. Tyler Bleyendaal is still making his way at first-class level; there's plenty of talent there but he needs a couple of big matches against strong opponents to get the confidence that will set him off and running. Given a good platform and a dry day, this would be a good chance to get one of those big games under his belt.
WE THINK: Waikato is hanging onto the top four, but can't afford to slip up here or they will be two games off the pace - and playing Canterbury may not be the game you want in those circumstances. The Mooloos have won the last two regular season games against Canterbury before losing the two finals, but this time we think Canterbury will get an edge through the forwards and gradually press it home on the way to a five to ten point win.
TEAMS:
Waikato: 1. Toby Smith, 2. Vance Elliott, 3. Ben May, 4. Chris Middleton, 5. Sam Kilgour, 6. Matt Vant Leven, 7. Zak Hohneck, 8. Alex Bradley (capt), 9. Brendon Leonard, 10. Piers Francis, 11. Declan O'Donnell, 12. Jackson Willison, 13. Save Tokula, 14. Tim Mikkelson, 15. Trent Renata.
Reserves: 16. Kalem Chan Boon, 17. Ted Tauroa, 18. Rory Grice, 19. Jono Armstrong, 20. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21. Sam Christie, 22. Joe Webber.
Canterbury: 1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4.Luke Katene, 5. Dominic Bird, 6. George Whitelock (capt), 7. Matt Todd, 8. Nasi Manu, 9. Andy Ellis, 10. Tyler Bleyendaal, 11. Johnny McNicholl, 12. Ryan Crotty, 13. Robbie Fruean, 14. Adam Whitelock, 15. Tom Taylor.
Reserves: 16. Ben Funnell, 17. Paea Fa'anunu, 18. Joel Everson, 19. Luke Whitelock, 20. Willi Heinz, 21. Telusa Veainu, 22. Sam Monaghan.
Pete has to agree. Canterbury by10.
Final resulyt 52-27 to Canterbury.
The score flatterd cantab. they were behind on every metric except points scored.
At 29-24 it looked like Waikato might catch them.
Final resulyt 52-27 to Canterbury.
The score flatterd cantab. they were behind on every metric except points scored.
At 29-24 it looked like Waikato might catch them.
OTAGO v TASMAN
Status: Championship
When: Sunday September 23, 4.35pm
Where: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Referee: Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty)
WAS THE Makos’ 20-17 last-gasp defeat to Northland last Sunday just a minor blip for one of the more impressive sides of 2012? No doubt we will discover more in this Sunday afternoon Championship clash.
The Makos, though, have got their own Francois Steyn (Andrew Goodman) and Israel Dagg (Robbie Malneek) and will, want to get stuck into the southerners, who played North Harbour on Tuesday night.
Victory there will have kept Otago right in the Championship semifinals race.
Preview: Otago v Tasman
Sportal.co.nz - (22/09/2012) - 0 Comments
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With both teams happy to give the ball some
air and carry an attacking mindset, this game promises to be an open
contest that will see a few points scored. Whoever does the little
things better will win it, and take a big step towards the Championship
playoffs.
VENUE & TIME: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, Sunday September 23 @ 1635
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 5; Otago 4, Tasman 0, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: August 21, 2011 (Nelson) - Tasman 16-19 Otago.
WALKING WOUNDED: Apart from losing the services of his two All Black backs, Tony Brown has been able to name the same side that dealt to North Harbour midweek. Tasman hasn't done a lot of tinkering with the team that played Northland, although Tom Marshall makes his first start since Super rugby. Robbie Malneek goes to the left wing and replaces the injured Bryce Heem, and there's a straight swap in the loose forwards.
FORM:
Otago:
Round 1: beat Northland 46-34 (h)
Round 2: lost to Bay of Plenty 19-31 (a)
Round 3: beat Southland 15-10 (a)
Round 4: lost to Counties-Manukau 12-43 (a)
Round 5: beat North Harbour 54-25 (h)
Tasman:
Round 1: beat Canterbury 25-22 (h)
Round 2: lost to Taranaki 40-49 (a, RS)
Round 3: beat Manawatu 27-3 (a)
Round 4: beat Southland 13-10 (h)
Round 5: lost to Northland 17-20 (h)
Otago played well to thump North Harbour, and they were handed several attacking opportunities by Harbour errors. When they got an invitation to attack, it was accepted with pleasure. There was a lot to like about the Otago performance, in which the backs and forwards often combined nicely to fashion scoring chances. Given a modicum of room to move, the Otago backs were dangerous and seldom made errors with the line beckoning. All in all, the Dark Blues had a good night.
Tasman had plenty of chances against Northland but too many errors - and too many of them were in Tasman territory - gave the visitors a chance to pinch the game. No team can give away 27 turnovers, as Tasman did, and have realistic expectations of winning. When the Makos held onto the ball they were threatening, which will be something to work with, but dropping that amount of ball against an equally attack-minded Otago team will only cause pain.
WHO'S HOT: Rob Verbakel has been a steady heartbeat in the Otago engine-room this season, and he has played well every time out. He gets the job done at set piece and provides plenty of grunt around the paddock. Not one to command headlines, he is well regarded by those closest to the action. Gareth Evens did get headlines on Tuesday - any flanker who drags off a couple of backs on a 50m try-scoring run will do that - but that was only part of a strong all-round match. He was a leading player in a good Otago loose forward effort. New winger Marshall Suckling showed some real gas at times and picked up his first competition try, as well as making a number of threatening runs. He also knows how to keep a movement going rather than dying with the ball, which will suit the style of game Otago is trying to play.
There is an experienced core to this Tasman pack and the two locks, Filipo Levi and Joe Wheeler, are a well-matched pair. Both have played at higher levels and done well there, so their ITM Cup performances should not surprise anyone. Levi is the power guy, carting the ball up into contact and moving bodies, while Wheeler is the more likely to make breaks in midfield as he has the greater speed. Both are good lineout options and solid scrummagers, while neither will hide from the dirty work around the fringes. Tom Marshall's return is something Tasman has been looking forward to for a while, as he is a very skilful player who is sound defensively and dangerous on attack. In a team that likes to run from almost anywhere, he could spark a few things. His goal-kicking may be an added bonus, but his general skills are a given.
WE THINK: This could be one of the more entertaining matches of the round, which is a big call when every match so far this week has seen both teams get to the mid-20s at least. Both look to any and all possession creatively, and both can fashion tries from a long way back. If there's one area that either side has an edge, it's the goal-kicking; Otago is at 82 percent for the season and Tasman 53. That could be decisive; it is the main reason we're going for the home team by a few points.
TEAMS:
Otago: 1. Tama Tuirirangi, 2. Sam Anderson-Heather, 3. Liam Coltman, 4. Tom Franklin, 5. Rob Verbakel, 6. Gareth Evans, 7. Lee Allen, 8. Paul Grant (capt), 9. Fumiaki Tanaka, 10. Hayden Parker, 11. Buxton Popoali'i, 12. Glenn Dickson, 13. Jayden Spence, 14. Marshall Suckling, 15. Tony Ensor.
Reserves: 16. Shota Horie, 17. Aki Seuili, 18. Justin Ives, 19. TJ Ioane, 20. Brad Weber, 21. Peter Breen, 22. Michael Collins.
Tasman: 1. Tim Perry, 2. Quentin MacDonald, 3. Campbell Johnstone, 4. Filipo Levi, 5. Joe Wheeler, 6. Tevita Kolomatangi, 7. Shane Christie, 8. Jordan Taufua, 9. Jeremy Su'a, 10. Hayden Cripps, 11. Robbie Malneek, 12. Andrew Goodman (capt), 13. Kieron Fonotia, 14. Peter Betham, 15. Tom Marshall.
Reserves: 16. Francis Smith, 17. Sam Prattley, 18. Riki Hoeata, 19. Vernon Fredricks, 20. Gary Redmond, 21. Steve Alfeld, 22. Albert Nikoro.
REFEREE: Glen Jackson
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 5; Otago 4, Tasman 0, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: August 21, 2011 (Nelson) - Tasman 16-19 Otago.
WALKING WOUNDED: Apart from losing the services of his two All Black backs, Tony Brown has been able to name the same side that dealt to North Harbour midweek. Tasman hasn't done a lot of tinkering with the team that played Northland, although Tom Marshall makes his first start since Super rugby. Robbie Malneek goes to the left wing and replaces the injured Bryce Heem, and there's a straight swap in the loose forwards.
FORM:
Otago:
Round 1: beat Northland 46-34 (h)
Round 2: lost to Bay of Plenty 19-31 (a)
Round 3: beat Southland 15-10 (a)
Round 4: lost to Counties-Manukau 12-43 (a)
Round 5: beat North Harbour 54-25 (h)
Tasman:
Round 1: beat Canterbury 25-22 (h)
Round 2: lost to Taranaki 40-49 (a, RS)
Round 3: beat Manawatu 27-3 (a)
Round 4: beat Southland 13-10 (h)
Round 5: lost to Northland 17-20 (h)
Otago played well to thump North Harbour, and they were handed several attacking opportunities by Harbour errors. When they got an invitation to attack, it was accepted with pleasure. There was a lot to like about the Otago performance, in which the backs and forwards often combined nicely to fashion scoring chances. Given a modicum of room to move, the Otago backs were dangerous and seldom made errors with the line beckoning. All in all, the Dark Blues had a good night.
Tasman had plenty of chances against Northland but too many errors - and too many of them were in Tasman territory - gave the visitors a chance to pinch the game. No team can give away 27 turnovers, as Tasman did, and have realistic expectations of winning. When the Makos held onto the ball they were threatening, which will be something to work with, but dropping that amount of ball against an equally attack-minded Otago team will only cause pain.
WHO'S HOT: Rob Verbakel has been a steady heartbeat in the Otago engine-room this season, and he has played well every time out. He gets the job done at set piece and provides plenty of grunt around the paddock. Not one to command headlines, he is well regarded by those closest to the action. Gareth Evens did get headlines on Tuesday - any flanker who drags off a couple of backs on a 50m try-scoring run will do that - but that was only part of a strong all-round match. He was a leading player in a good Otago loose forward effort. New winger Marshall Suckling showed some real gas at times and picked up his first competition try, as well as making a number of threatening runs. He also knows how to keep a movement going rather than dying with the ball, which will suit the style of game Otago is trying to play.
There is an experienced core to this Tasman pack and the two locks, Filipo Levi and Joe Wheeler, are a well-matched pair. Both have played at higher levels and done well there, so their ITM Cup performances should not surprise anyone. Levi is the power guy, carting the ball up into contact and moving bodies, while Wheeler is the more likely to make breaks in midfield as he has the greater speed. Both are good lineout options and solid scrummagers, while neither will hide from the dirty work around the fringes. Tom Marshall's return is something Tasman has been looking forward to for a while, as he is a very skilful player who is sound defensively and dangerous on attack. In a team that likes to run from almost anywhere, he could spark a few things. His goal-kicking may be an added bonus, but his general skills are a given.
WE THINK: This could be one of the more entertaining matches of the round, which is a big call when every match so far this week has seen both teams get to the mid-20s at least. Both look to any and all possession creatively, and both can fashion tries from a long way back. If there's one area that either side has an edge, it's the goal-kicking; Otago is at 82 percent for the season and Tasman 53. That could be decisive; it is the main reason we're going for the home team by a few points.
TEAMS:
Otago: 1. Tama Tuirirangi, 2. Sam Anderson-Heather, 3. Liam Coltman, 4. Tom Franklin, 5. Rob Verbakel, 6. Gareth Evans, 7. Lee Allen, 8. Paul Grant (capt), 9. Fumiaki Tanaka, 10. Hayden Parker, 11. Buxton Popoali'i, 12. Glenn Dickson, 13. Jayden Spence, 14. Marshall Suckling, 15. Tony Ensor.
Reserves: 16. Shota Horie, 17. Aki Seuili, 18. Justin Ives, 19. TJ Ioane, 20. Brad Weber, 21. Peter Breen, 22. Michael Collins.
Tasman: 1. Tim Perry, 2. Quentin MacDonald, 3. Campbell Johnstone, 4. Filipo Levi, 5. Joe Wheeler, 6. Tevita Kolomatangi, 7. Shane Christie, 8. Jordan Taufua, 9. Jeremy Su'a, 10. Hayden Cripps, 11. Robbie Malneek, 12. Andrew Goodman (capt), 13. Kieron Fonotia, 14. Peter Betham, 15. Tom Marshall.
Reserves: 16. Francis Smith, 17. Sam Prattley, 18. Riki Hoeata, 19. Vernon Fredricks, 20. Gary Redmond, 21. Steve Alfeld, 22. Albert Nikoro.
REFEREE: Glen Jackson
Pete has no idea who will win this.
I went with bookies and cross referenced both teams form vs Northland and Southland.
I came up with Otago at home and by 8.
BAY OF PLENTY v WELLINGTON
Status: Premiership
When: Tuesday September 25, 7.35pm
Where: BayPark Stadium, Mt Maunganui
Referee: Keith Brown (Southland)
TUESDAY NIGHT Premiership rugby returns to Mt Maunganui, but which side will turn up with the requisite attitude?
The Steamers, who will have played Hawke’s Bay on Friday, showed real signs of emerging from their hibernation with a superb 37-16 shutout of Auckland in Rotorua.
This is another chance to take out a franchise base union. Prop Greg Pleasants-Tate, so good against Auckland, could be up against the Lions’ Jeffery Toomaga-Allen at scrum time.
SOUTHLAND v NORTHLAND
Status: Championship
When: Wednesday September 26, 7.35pm
Where: Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
Referee: Richard Kelly (Taranaki)
SOUTH MEETS North in the Championship to close out round 10.
Much will depend on how both teams back up from Saturday games, but the Stags front-row looks as though it is cranking into gear, while Northland has been inconsistent.
More ball needs to get into the hands of co-captain Rene Ranger, while the Taniwha could do with a few solo tries like the beauty Mateo Malupo scored against Tasman last Sunday.
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