NPC Round 4 wrap

Auckland, after its loss to Waikato, and Manawatū, who lost to Hawke's Bay, are the only teams winless.

Canterbury 21 Hawke's Bay 27

Snappy work on the blindside from a midfield ruck saw halfback Eratara Enare find second five-eighths Danny Toala who lobbed the ball to wing Freedom Vaha'akolo to score. Toala was well-placed three minutes later when flanker Josh Gimblett charged down Canterbury fullback Chay Fihaki's kick, picked up the ball to give it to Toala, who than ran 75m to score. Hawke's Bay had their own misfortunes with intercepted ball when, as they tried to run out from the goal-line, Cantebury wing Isaac Hutchinson pulled in an easy Bay pass to run over for a try. Penalty goals each way saw halftime reached at 13-13.

Canterbury made a strong start to the second and were rewarded when wing Kurtis MacDonald was on the end of the line to score. But the Bay response was prompt when first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie's kick to the wing was uncontrolled by Canterbury, allowing Bay wing Neria Fomai to secure the ball to score. The Bay fell behind to a White penalty goal, but they stormed back onto attack and from a midfield ruck Vaha'akolo burst out with the ball, stepped past defenders and then passed to replacement halfback Sam Wye who scored what proved the winning try.

Canterbury 21 (Isaac Hutchinson, Kurtis MacDonald tries; James White con, 3 pen) Hawke's Bay 27 (Freedom Vaha'akolo, Danny Toala, Neria Fomai, Sam Wye tries; Lincoln McClutchie pen; Hamish Godfrey 2 con). HT: 13-13

Northland 26 Southland 31

Southland demonstrated its revitalisation in 2024 when coming back from 7-26 down at halftime to leave Northland scoreless in the second half while adding 24 points themselves to win. Northland looked assured in the first half, and lock Sam Caird scored first from a lineout drive. Southland responded and, from a power scrum 5m out from Northland's line, halfback Jay Renton's missout pass allowed fullback Rory van Vugt to break the line and score. Northland tighthead prop Chris Poua featured in two strong runs, each resulting in tries for fullback Jordan Trainor from a kick through by centre Corey Evans, and with hooker Matt Moulds scoring from a goalline breakdown. A lineout variation saw wing Heremaia Murray into space. His pass saw second five-eighths Tevita Latu score for a 26-7 lead.

But Southland burst Northland's balloon after the break. After eight minutes, wing Charlie Powell charged through the midfield to score handy to the posts. Replacement halfback Lachie Albert kicked to the corner where the ball's bounce undid the cover. Albert followed up to feed van Vugt in for his second try. Another Albert kick to the same corner almost saw van Vugt score again, but he was ruled to have dropped the ball over the line. But it didn't matter; moments later, Southland was back in the 22m area and this time, a long pass found van Vugt, who slid over in the tackle for his hat-trick to level the scores. The win came after first five-eighths Byron Smith's crosskick was fielded by Powell, who kicked ahead and won the chase to clinch the lead eight minutes from the end.

Northland 26 (Sam Caird, Jordan Trainor, Matt Moulds, Tevita Latu tries; Rivez Reihana 3 con) Southland 31 (Rory van Vugt 3, Charlie Powell 2; Jake Strachan 3 con). HT: 26-7

North Harbour 33 Counties Manukau 36

A classic backline movement by Counties Manukau nine minutes into the game resulted in the first try for fullback Etene Nanai-Seturo. Five minutes later, he ran an inside line in midfield during some confused North Harbour defence to score his second. Home fullback Shaun Stevenson wasn't to be undone as he launched a counterattack 60m out. Wing Safai Maka carried the move on, passing out to second five-eighths Tom Barham, who in-passed to halfback Bryn Hall who scored. Maka lost his chance for a try when losing the ball short of the line, however, in clearing their line Counties Manukau allowed the home team to come back at them and after a short pass flanker Tristyn Cook took play to just short of the line where No8 Cameron Suafoa scored. Before the break Counties Manukau regained their running mojo and with lovely support play put No8 Adam Brash in for a 24-14 lead.

Counties Manukau struck first upon the return as Nanai-Seturo chased a kick behind the home backs to take the ball and put halfback Jonathan Taumateine away for a try. Maka got one back for the home team after a Stevenson burst, and a cross-kick by Tane Edmed. They followed that with a lineout drive clearing ball to the right flank where wing Kade Banks scored. The visitors botched a lineout eight minutes from time and lock Cam Christie pounced for a try to lead by two with Edmed's conversion. But with just over a minute left replacement back Simon Peter-Toleafoa made the most of a break by first-five AJ Alatimu to run in the match-winning try.

North Harbour 33 (Bryn Hall, Cameron Suafoa, Sofai Maka, Kade Banks, Cam Christie tries; Tane Edmed 4 con) Counties Manukau 36 (Etene Nanai-Seturo 2, Adam Brash, Jonathan Taumateine, Simon Peter-Toleafoa tries; AJ Alatimu 3 con, pen; Riley Hohepa con): HT: 14-24

Taranaki 22 Otago 18

Otago scored the first try at Yarrow Stadium after a punishing break to the line by No8 Christian Lio-Willie. In the resulting play wing Jona Nareki barged his way over in the corner. Otago lost fullback Finn Hurley and lock Fabian Hollan within five minutes midway through the first half. 

Taranaki stayed in touch and claimed the lead seven minutes into the second half through fullback Josh Jacomb's goal-kicking boot, which landed four penalty goals. However, Otago's pack got deep into the home 22m and from a goalline melee it was prop Saula Ma'u who scored to reclaim the lead. Taranaki applied pressure, which resulted in replacement Will Tucker being sin-binned after a warning, and in the resulting play, Jacomb slipped a pass to wing Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens for a try. Still a man down, Otago had to withstand more forward pressure as hooker Ricci Riccitelli scored from a superb driving maul, 13 minutes from the end. Otago's chances for a late strike were not helped when Nareki was sin-binned.

Taranaki 22 (Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Ricky Riccitelli tries; Josh Jacomb 4 pen) Otago 18 (Jona Nareki, Saula Ma'u tries; Cameron Millar con, 2 pen). HT: 6-11

Waikato 39 Auckland 21

Quick Waikato hands produced the first try, scored by wing Dan Sinkinson, after only two minutes in Hamilton. He scored a second in the 20th minute when toeing the ball ahead after an Aaron Cruden-initiated break from a dropped ball by Auckland. The visitors got their continuity game going after key breaks by No8 Akira Ioane and flanker Adrian Choate, whose pass allowed flanker Anton Segner to charge ahead to open Auckland's score. Another Auckland dropped ball was toed ahead for 60m by Cruden, who got the touchdown in the 36th minute. Wing Aki Tuivailala rocked Auckland when scoring just before the break.

Down 7-32, wing Nigel Ah Wong caught a cross-kick from first five-eighths Rico Simpson five minutes into the second half and with 21 minutes left Mills Sanerivi gave Auckland a sniff with a try. But from a deep attacking position, they turned over the ball and Waikato escaped to put the issue beyond doubt when Sinkinson pulled off a midfield intercept to complete a hat-trick of tries.

Waikato 39 (Dan Sinkinson 3, Aaron Cruden, Aki Tuivailala tries; Cruden 3 con, 2 pen; Tepaea Cook-Savage con) Auckland 21 (Anton Segner, Nigel Ah Wong, Mills Sanerivi tries; Zarn Sullivan 3 con). HT 32-7

Tasman 34 Bay of Plenty 15

Employing power play through their big men in Blenheim's wet conditions, Tasman opened the scoring when big wing Timoci Tavatavanawai did what his forwards couldn't and burst through the defence beneath the posts to open the scoring. Five minutes later, in the 13th minute, the same actors were involved in the same position and it was lock Max Hicks who scored. First five-eighths, firstly Kaleb Trask for the Bay and then William Havili for Tasman exchanged penalty goals before a Trask chip over the Tasman backline produced a favourable bounce for centre Emoni Narawa who was never going to be caught after 33 minutes.

Reverting to their driving play, the home pack worked towards the line before the ball was flicked to blindside wing Jack Gray to score 10 minutes into the second half. Having missed a crosskick try when the ball slithered beneath him, Gray joined the backline from the blindside and cut through to score. The Bay were not finished and another brilliant midfield break by Narawa resulted in him handing off to fullback Cole Forbes to score for a consolation try.

Tasman 34 (Timoci Tavatavanawai, Max Hicks, William Butler, Jack Gray 2 tries; William Havili 4 con, 2 pen; Butler pen) Bay of Plenty 15 (Emoni Narawa, Cole Forbes tries; Kaleb Trask pen; Lucas Cashmore con). HT: 17-8

Canterbury 21 Wellington 46

Running a Canterbury kick back at them, fullback Tjay Clarke provided Wellington lock Caleb Delany with a try after 10 minutes at Rangiora. It was a sign of things to come for the home team. Two minutes later, halfback Kyle Preston made the most of second five-eighths Riley Higgins' break for the second try. Wing Pepesana Patafilo was next to make a break, setting up a try for centre Peter Umaga-Jensen. Running Canterbury ragged, Umaga-Jensen was in again after Wellington's outside backs went to town with superb support play. A penalty goal by Callum Harkin gave Wellington a halftime lead of 31-0.

James White, named at fullback but at stand-off, at a ruck in the 22m area got Canterbury on the board at last with a try four minutes into the second half, but hopes of a recovery evaporated when it took another 15 minutes before they got a second try to wing Ngatungane Punivai and Clarke was rewarded for an outstanding afternoon when Higgins set him for a try. Canterbury gained a third when replacement back Dallas McLeod scored. Just before the end, replacement five-eighths Jackson Garden-Bachop completed a significant win on the road.

Canterbury 21 (James White, Ngatungane Punivai, Dallas McLeod tries; White 3 con) Wellington 46 (Caleb Delany, Kyle Preston, Peter Umaga-Jensen 2, Tjay Clarke, Jackson Garden-Bachop tries; Callum Harkin 4 con, 2 pen; Garden-Bachop con). HT: 0-31

Manawatū 26 Hawke's Bay 38

Manawatū gave their neighbours a first-half fright when racing out to a first-quarter lead of 19-0 thanks to tries by hooker Raymond Tuputupu from a lineout maul, a stunning goose step from first five-eighths Reece MacDonald that opened up space for wing Taniela Filimone who passed back to MacDonald who scored, and another assist from Filimone on the blindside break before in-passing to halfback Jordi Viljoen. But into the second quarter, Hawke's Bay regained their equilibrium with halfback Folau Fakatava's long pass finding flanker Frank Lochore in space on the wing to get the first try back. Prop Pouri Rakete-Stones scored off the back of a lineout maul. Filimone pulled off an intercept just before the break, but in the time available, a break by wing Ben O'Donnell allowed Fakatava to score and reduced the lead to five points.

The second half was less successful for the home team than the Bay drew level through a try to first five-eighths Danny Toala. In the final 14 minutes, Hawke's Bay's experience shone with Fakatava scoring a second try after Hunter Morrison's break from a ruck, and then centre Nick Grigg scored to deny Manawatū a loser's bonus point.

Manawatu 26 (Raymond Tuputupu, Reece MacDonald, Jordi Viljoen, Taniela Filimone tries; MacDonald 2 con; Liam O'Connor con) Hawke's Bay 38 (Frank Lochore, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Folau Fakatava 2, Danny Toala, Nick Grigg tries; Toala 3 con; Lincoln McClutchie con). HT: 26-21