Great break by McKenzie as the defence drifts too soon. He runs 30m and offloads to the ever present Gibson-Park who is smashed in a tackle and stays down after that hit

Taranaki win a tight head and as Gibson-Park picks the ball from the base Vaipulu leaves the scrum early and rips the ball off the 9.

Even though Taranaki are leading this game they are also comfortably leading the handling error stats too. They are playing a rather quick expansive game in this wet windy weather. Counties Manukau don't really seem in this game at all and it is almost like they haven't seen the need to get into it.

Counties Manukau make 2 errors, one missing their touch kick and 2 knock on from the return kick. Taranaki can put the Ranfurly Shield holders under pressure here.

Rei strikes the ball very well and slots a long penalty in poor weather to give Taranaki the lead

Counties Manukau make their way into the Taranaki 22 but a miss-communication on attack causes them to lose the ball

This is the first real attacking opportunity for Counties Manukau as they charge on to the line but infringe in contact. Gibson-Park grabs the ball off the penalty and puts in a massive kick that goes out 5m off the CM line.

Codey Rei gets a great ball from Ngatai and McKenzie and bursts down the left hand touch line. He opts to kick it forward and it just trickles over the dead ball line as the heavens open and heavy rain starts to fall

Stowers fields a ball kick ahead and has 4 players closing in on him. He uses his pace to run across field and eventually runs out his 22 to set up a ruck

Taranaki put CM under pressure immediately as they charge down a clearing kick. CM win their line out and manage to complete their clearing kick