Waikato 38 Bay of Plenty 26
It was the Taha Kemara show at FMG Stadium as the Waikato skipper notched 15 points in his side’s 12-point victory over Bay of Plenty.
The Steamers have had the run over the black, red and yellow of late, winning four of the previous five fixtures, but it was the perfect start for the home side when just 90 seconds into the match, Nathan Stephens struck off the left wing to score the opening try in his Waikato debut. And they doubled their lead after 14 minutes, when a quick tap saw Waisake Salabiau break a tackle and score down the right. Kemara converted both. The back three made it a try apiece when fullback Dan Sinkinson scored after a wide pass left from Kemara found a stepping Sinkinson, who dived over to score. At half time, the score was 35-0 after further tries from Kemara, spotting a gap from close range; and flanker Oli Mathis, whose pick and go from his own half caught Bay of Plenty napping.
The Steamers were far from done, though. Cole Forbes was the first to strike for the blue and yellow, before Riley Hohepa ran a great supporting line to be the grateful recipient of a Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi pop pass who had enough gas to run in untouched. The Mooloo men took a while to grasp the game in the second half, only scoring a penalty in the 71st minute, before the Steamers struck twice more. Veveni Lasaqa spotted a gap off a quick tap and darted over with two minutes left, and then doubled his tally with the clock in the red, diving over on the right wing.
Tasman 31 North Harbour 29
Bryn Hall’s centurion match seemed like it was destined to be a fairytale night for North Harbour, but the Tasman Mako had other ideas, holding on for a two-point win.
It was Harbour who struck first through right wing Tom Barham off a lineout set piece. His opposite number, Leo Marfell got a sniff of some space and darted clear, dummying to beat the covering defence and scoring to put Tasman’s nose in the lead after the conversion. Harbour struck back after hammering away inside the 22, Bryn Gordon got his hands on the pill and dived over. A penalty for entering the breakdown illegally was given, allowing Harbour to extend their lead to eight points. It didn’t last long though, a few minutes before halftime the home side struck back twice through Kyren Taumoefolau – a snipe from a lineout drive, and the last recipient of a chain pass, diving into the corner.
The Mako extended their lead through an intercept by Cooper Roberts, he regathered neatly and darted away to score in the corner. Harbour bit straight back two minutes later via an untidy restart. Hall found Leo Gordon with a flat pass, who muscled over to see the game return to a two-point margin, 24-22. Against the run of play, Tasman hacked a loose ball downfield for Taumoefolau to gather and dot down to complete his hattrick. Barham then responded by scoring his second. Hall tapped quickly and chipped over top for Barham to gather and score, seeing the scoreline at 31-29 with about 10 minutes to play.
Counties Manukau 5 Taranaki 20
The visiting Taranaki won a valuable four points against a new-look Counties Manukau side on Saturday night.
The Bulls opened their account 15 minutes in when Jared Proffit found Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, who sent a skip pass out to Vereniki Tikoisolomone who strolled in to score. They doubled their lead when Kaylum Boshier picked and went from about 40m out, popping a pass to Adam Lennox in support to streak in untouched.
The Steelers came out firing in the second half, with Jimmy Tupou benefitting from Aporosa Vuniyayawa’s maul almost crashing over. Tupou picked it up himself and got the first points on the board for the home side. The Bulls bit back through first five-eighth Sam Clarke after Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens kicked in behind – the bounce of the ball favouring the chasing Clarke, who strolled over, then converting his own try. Clarke extended the lead to 15 when he slotted a penalty from the 22, with about 15 minutes remaining.
Southland 14 Otago 41
Christian Lio-Willie and Lucas Casey ran the show for Otago in their round one victory over Southland on Stag Day. They each scored two of Otago’s seven tries on the day.
Winger Jae Broomfield opened the scoring just eight minutes in, from a set play off the back of a lineout maul. Riley Lucas also bagged in the opening exchanges, when Jona Nareki returned Southland’s clearing kick with interest, breaking down the left, popping to Kieran McClea, who in turn found Lucas to slice through and score under the posts. A loose ball was toed ahead by the blue and gold, with Josh Timu winning the race and diving to score Otago’s third. And they were going a point a minute in the 24th, when flanker Casey scored from close range after a Lio-Willie rumble at the line. The Southland crowd erupted when Clem Halaholo scored after a quick tap turned into a beautiful team try – Glen Vaihu found Halaholo on the offload and he powered over. Lio-Willie rounded out a rampant Otago first half when Cam Millar took the line on outside the 22, and the ball was recycled to Nareki, shifting it to Lio-Willie to cruise over on the left.
Casey notched his second after Otago stole the ball 30m from their own line, running the remaining 70m to score in the right corner. Lio-Willie then added his second after a quick Southland tap turned into a clearance kick for Otago to gather and counterattack. Once again, Nareki found Lio-Willie in acres and he strolled over. The Stags got one back through Jack Taylor when Mitch Dunshea claimed a lineout and the maul rolled on, Taylor peeled off the back and scored for the consolation try.
Canterbury 38 Auckland 31
Canterbury’s returning talisman Richie Mo’unga set One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha alight in the red and black’s opening match against Auckland, scoring the winning try in a 38-31 scoreline.
More than 16,000 were there to see the home side get off to a red-hot start, scoring twice in the opening 12 minutes – through Tahlor Cahill scoring in the corner; and Dom Gardiner who benefitted from Jone Rova’s line break, to power over from close range. Auckland fought back though to score twice in four minutes. Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo, stepping off his right to coast in, before Xavier Tito-Harris beautifully read Andrew Knewstubb’s cut-out pass and intercepted, racing away untouched from 60m out. Canterbury patiently punched away up the field and Corey Kellow was the beneficiary of an undefended blindside to dot down. Rova then extended the lead after Brodie McAlister sniped off the back of a maul, handing off to Rova to score with ease. That wasn’t all for the first half though, Josh Beehre used the upright to great effect, diving low under Canterbury’s defence to score.
A much cagier second half saw Stephen Perofeta opt for three points from 30m out to reduce the deficit, before Payton Spencer chipped a centring kick for Perofeta to chase, beating Louie Chapman and grounding the loose ball to score, putting Auckland ahead. Jamie Hannah had been threatening all game, and his time came with 15 minutes left on the clock – burrowing over from close range to level the scores. And with a minute left, Mo’unga (under penalty advantage) acted as halfback, dummied to go wide and sniped himself to score under the sticks, converting to see the red and black take five points.
Northland 40 Manawatū 14
What started out as a promising match for the Manawatū Turbos ended in a convincing win for Northland at Semenoff Stadium.
Rory Woods opened the Turbos’ account for the year when he dotted down under advantage after a series of rumbles from the forwards right on the line. Nathan Salmon returned the favour for the home side, after Sam Nock flung a wide pass to the winger, who outran his opposite number, leaping over in the left corner. The Taniwha nearly had two more tries but for mistakes and penalties. They did eventually get a second when Rivez Reihana burst into space and flicked on to Heremaia Murray to touch down. Turbos’ winger James Tofa was the recipient of a floated pass from TK Howden, who ran over Reihana to power over in the corner, levelling the scores. Reihana got his own back, crashing over under the sticks after a quick tap and offload to the first-five eighth.
Northland scored three minutes into the second period through Brady Rush with a defender hanging off him as he dotted down in the corner. Salmon then added to his tally, this time off the lineout before being brought down. A few phases later Reihana slipped a pass out wide for him to run onto and score in the corner. And in the dying embers, Rush got his second after grabbing a loose Ngani Laumape pass, pinning his ears back and scoring beneath the posts.
Wellington 33 Hawke’s Bay 52
Eighty-five points were scored in the Lions-Magpies encounter at Hnry Stadium, including 13 tries – the Magpies having the last laugh this time.
Hawke’s Bay got off to a flying start, scoring four unanswered tries before the home side caught their breath in Wellington. Scrum half Folau Fakatava scored a simple draw and pass; Hunter Morrison galloped in from the 22; Neria Fomai nabbed a try after a Morrison break from their own 22; and fullback Will Cole benefitted from a Fomai break and pass inside. Logan Henry then scored Wellington’s first after selling a dummy inches away from the line and bursting over. Divad Palu crashed over, reaching out to score with defenders clinging on. Tyrone Thompson broke from the back of a lineout maul to score the Magpies’ fifth try of the half.
The mauling of the Lions continued after the break, with Clement Castets rumbling over for a simple finish, four minutes after the whistle. Wellington regained their composure and, in the 67th minute, Du’Plessis Kirifi came off the back of a scrum, flopping over the line for Wellington’s third. The Magpies grabbed another, this time Jonah Lowe benefitting from a Geoff Cridge breakaway and offload. Reo Matsushita scored the bonus point try for the Lions after Palu found the winger unmarked for a simple finish. A minute later, the Magpies brought up their 50 through Kade Manuel for the easiest of tries after a draw and pass. The final try went the way of the home side after the hooter sounded, with fullback Cameron Burgess grabbed a speculative pass from Kirifi, charging away to score in the corner.