NPC Round 3 review

Tussle. Tension, Tenacity this weekend's games produced it all.

Developing combinations and understanding were evident among several sides as high scores were featured in the third weekend of the Bunnings NPC.

Three teams, Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Tasman, are unbeaten, and Bay of Plenty, who have played an extra game for a surprise loss to Otago on Sunday, remain at the top of the ladder.

Hawke's Bay retained the Ranfurly Shield with their 55-30 win over Northland, while Wellington finally subdued a determined Manawatū side 39-31, and Tasman beat Counties Manukau 48-3. 

Auckland, who lost 21-27 to Canterbury, Counties Manukau and Manawatū, are the only sides without a win.

Hawke's Bay 55 Northland 30

Early indiscipline could have been costly for Hawke's Bay in Northland's Ranfurly Shield challenge in Napier as visiting first five-eighths Rivez Reihana landed three penalty goals in the first 18 minutes. But once they got their issues sorted, the Bay took their chances, with hooker Jacob Devery scoring the first try. Northland responded with second five-eighths Tevita Latu featuring twice with bullocking running to score. However, absorbing the Northland pressure, Hawke's Bay turned it around through first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie's try and then his kick to the corner for wing Ben O'Donnell to collect while diving over the line to score. Just before halftime, wing Neria Fomai broke through midfield and found flanker Sam Smith in support to score and claim a halftime lead of 26-16.

McClutchie scored two minutes into the second half off a back pass from halfback Folau Fakatava. Northland wasn't done with a front-of-the-lineout move giving hooker Matt Moulds a try. O'Donnell repeated his first-half try, this time off a Fakatava kick to his corner. Fakatava's tap penalty opened up Northland, and Smith scored a second try from a goal-line ruck. Halfback Sam Nock pulled one back for Northland, but replacements Tyrone Thompson and Matt Protheroe scored for the Shield holders to secure a comfortable win.

Hawke's Bay 55 (Jacob Devery, Lincoln McClutchie 2, Ben O'Donnell 2, Sam Smith 2, Tyrone Thompson, Matt Protheroe tries; McClutchie 5 con) Northland 30 (Tevita Latu, Matt Moulds, Sam Nock tries; Rivez Reihana 3 con, 3 pen). HT: 26-16

Counties Manukau 3 Tasman 48 

A tight first half, with only one try, that to Tasman wing Timoci Tavatavanawai off a cross-kick by AJ Alatimu intended for his wing, which the Tasman wing plucked out of the air first, offered no sense of what would happen in the second half.

Up 10-3, Tasman opened the half with a lineout maul try to hooker Quentin MacDonald, and the home team didn't help themselves when lock James Thompson was sin-binned for dangerous play. Five minutes later, MacDonald repeated the method for his second try. A second quality break by wing Macca Springer produced a try for centre Levi Aumua before Thompson returned to find 31 Tasman points on the board. Counties Manukau's one chance for a try to replacement Cameron Church was ruled out for a forward pass, and the Tasman outside backs punished the home team as they followed lock Quentin Strange's try with one each to wings Macca Springer and Kyren Taumoefolau to finish their 38-point blitz in the half.

Counties Manukau 3 (AJ Alatimu pen) Tasman 48 (Timoci Tavatavanawai, Quentin MacDonald 2, Levi Aumua, Quinten Strange, Macca Springer, Kyren Taumoefolau tries; William Havili 4 con, pen ; Campbell Parata con). HT: 3-10

Auckland 21 Canterbury 27

Mistakes, especially in kicking, and indiscipline from both sides marred the first half of this Eden Park contest, personified by home first five-eighths Christian Leali'ifano kicking a penalty dead, only to be followed by Canterbury rival James White kicking the restart out on the full. But Leali'ifano had the chance for redemption when getting outside wing Lolagi Visinia to take his pass for the first try of the game. Canterbury's reply was immediate as second five-eighths Jone Rova made the most of a break by halfback Willie Heinze to score.

Auckland's infringing proved costly as White landed five penalty goals to help negate the effectiveness Auckland showed at the lineout, its second try coming after a drive and a break by No8 Akira Ioane, a pass from halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, to wing Nigel Ah Wong who completed the move to level at 14-14. But those penalty goals, and the insertion of replacement prop Daniel Lienert-Brown who slid through for try gave the visitors a winning buffer. A try to Hauiti-Parapara, after lead-up work by fullback Xavier Tito-Harris and Visinia, showed what Auckland was capable of, but it was too late.

Auckland 21 Christian Leali'ifano, Nigel Ah Wong, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara tries; Xavi Taele 3 con) Canterbury 27 (Jone Rova, Daniel Lienert-Brown tries; James White con, 5 pen). HT: 7-11

Southland 24 Taranaki 39

 Starting with a hiss and a roar, Taranaki ran the ball hard at Southland, secured a penalty goal and then tried to repeat running the ball out from their 22m only to drop the ball and give home skipper and flanker Sean Withy the easiest of tries. But employing their lineout maul, Taranaki responded with hooker Ricky Riccitelli scoring. Home fullback Jake Strachan capped a good attacking breakout by Southland to score, only to see Taranaki halfback Adam Lennox take a tap penalty after the restart to run 45m to score. Lock Tom Franklin added another from a series of rucks on the line, and on halftime, wing Kini Naholo's try gave them a 29-10 lead.

Southland scrum power resulted in a 61st-minute try for replacement Faletoi Peni. However, any hopes of a late recovery were stymied when fullback Jacob Ratumataivuki-Kneepkens put replacement Josh Setu in for a try that proved a bridge too far for the home team, although they got one try back when loose forward Dylan Nel went over from a goalline scrum, while Taranaki was down to 14 men, replacement forward Jackson Morgan having been sin-binned.

Southland 24 (Sean Withy, Jake Strachan, Faletoi Peni, Dylan Nel tries; Byron Smith 2 con) Taranaki 39 (Ricky Riccitelli, Adam Lennox, Tom Franklin, Kini Hanolo, Josh Setu tries; Josh Jacomb 4 con, 2 pen). HT: 10-29

Otago 31 Bay of Plenty 26

 Making the early running, Bay of Plenty's combination, back and forward, saw flanker Jacob Norris score the first try before Otago responded with first five-eighths Cam Millar's delayed pass, allowing fullback Finn Hurley into a gap and a try. Off a scrum move and three pick-and-gos, hooker Taine Kolose powered across to score. Hurley was involved again for Otago after flanker Oliver Haig's break, a touch on by second five-eighths Sam Gilbert for Hurley to slip inside a tackle and backhand a pass to wing Hudson Creighton for the try.

Returning from the break locked at 14-14, Otago landed a penalty goal, but Bay of Plenty posted the next try through lock Justin Sangster. They backed that soon after, with Kolose scoring his second following interchanged passing with wing Codemeru Vai. An intercept breakout by Otago resulted in Norris being sin-binned, and Haig scored after a lineout play. In the 74th minute, Haig was over again from good lead-up work close to the Bay line through 31 phases to ensure a win.

Otago 31 (Finn Hurley, Hudson Creighton, Oliver Haig 2 tries; 4 con, pen) Bay of Plenty 26 (Jacob Norris , Taine Kolose 2, Justin Sangster tries; Kaleb Trask 3 con). HT: 14-14

Wellington 39 Manawatū 31

Classic Wellington continuity play saw No8 Peter Lakai well-positioned in support to score its opening try against Manawatū at Jerry Collins Park. Lakai was twice involved in the lead-up work to wing Pepesane Patafilo's 19th-minute try. Manawatū were not to be outdone as fullback Drew Wild's chip kick was caught to put second five-eighths James Tofa in for a try. And when flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi was sin-binned for a head clash, Manawatū used the chance for hooker Raymond Tuputupu to score. Then replacement wing Liam O'Connor crossed on debut to level the scores.

The second half started at 17-17, but three minutes in, a dropped ball by Wellington saw wing Taniela Filimone scoop it up and run 60m to score. Wellington's backs responded when centre Riley Higgins crossed to get them level again. Flanker Slade McDowell found a way through Wellington's midfield defence to slip the ball to centre Kyle Brown, who reclaimed Manawatū's lead. More Lakai magic on the left flank saw him beat three tacklers to score his second. Still, down by two points, wing Tjay Clarke latched onto a long pass from Jackson Garden-Bachop to score seven minutes from the end, and Garden-Bachop landed a last-minute penalty to seal the win.

Wellington 39 (Peter Lakai 2, Pepesana Patafilo, Riley Higgins, Tjay Clarke tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 4 con, 2 pen) Manawatū 31 (James Tofa, Raymond Tuputupu, Liam O'Connor, Taniela Filimone, Kyle Brown tries; Reece MacDonald 3 con). HT: 17-17

North Harbour 43 Waikato 29

A 20-minute onslaught from North Harbour late in the second half finally quelled Waikato's hopes at North Harbour Stadium, and wing Kade Banks scored three tries, each of them converted by first five-eighths Tane Edmed.

North Harbour had prepared for the assault by scoring two tries in four minutes midway through the first half, again with Banks scoring once and fullback Shaun Stevenson scoring the second to claim a 14-8 lead at the break. In the third quarter, the sides went tit for tat, with fullback Josh Moorby getting Waikato within two points before wing Sofai Maka extended North Harbour's lead only for prop George Dyer to pull them back before Banks took flight for his later three tries. Waikato gained a penalty try when Edmed was sin-binned two minutes from the end for slapping the ball away, but they ran out of time to secure a bonus point at least.

North Harbour 43 (Kade Banks 4, Shaun Stevenson, Sofai Maka tries; Tane Edmed 5 con, pen) Waikato 29 (Dan Sinkinson, Josh Moorby, George Dyer tries; Penalty try; Taha Kemara pen; Aaron Cruden 2 con). HT: 14-8