NPC wrap: Canterbury mean business in quest to end title ‘drought’

When is a title drought really a title drought?

For Canterbury, four years without a trophy most certainly is a dry spell. And don’t they sure look thirsty to see the silverware again.

The second-most successful province in the country, with 14 NPC crowns to Auckland’s 17, the red and blacks have claimed 12 of those in the last 26 years.

But not since their lengthy 14-year wait between their second title in 1983 and third in 1997 have they gone as long as they currently have to be called champions again.

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Two games into their 2022 campaign, they are going the right way about setting the tone, under new coach Marty Bourke.

After their 62-15 demolition of Manawatū in the season opener in Palmerston North, Canterbury followed it up with a 43-10 dispatching of Wellington in Christchurch on Saturday night.

In a game which seemed destined to be a great battle, with the Lions first-up winners and featuring plenty of experience and talent in their ranks, it turned into one-way traffic at Orangetheory Stadium.

Down 10-8 after 35 minutes, the hosts got their noses back in front with a George Bridge try before halftime, then proceeded to put on a 28-0 second-half shutout to bag a second bonus-point win from as many starts.

No 8 Cullen Grace went over for two of Canterbury’s six tries and was part of an outstanding loose forward effort, as time and again the Lions were beaten to the puch at the breakdown and couldn’t make the most of their attacks.

An elbow injury to hooker Brodie McAlister soured the victory, though it did provide a debut for youngster George Bell, who took his chance well in an impressive display which, like in his Crusaders debut in Perth earlier this year, also featured a try.

The news wasn’t as rosy for fellow Crusaders province Tasman, who feature alongside them in the Evens pool.

Runners-up last season after back-to-back titles the two years prior, the Mako are quite the new-look outfit and after an unconvincing win first-up against Southland, they then stumbled to a surprise 25-19 defeat to Otago in Dunedin on Saturday afternoon.

In the Odds pool, both Waikato and Hawke’s Bay remain unbeaten after responding to their epic round-one golden-point draw with victories.

The defending champion Mooloos out-slugged Northland 16-10 in the wet in Whangārei on Saturday evening in a game where All Blacks midfielder Jack Goodhue made his return from a knee injury off the bench but was the guilty party in spilling the pill as the Taniwha desperately searched for a match-winner.

The Magpies successfully defended the Ranfurly Shield, but only just, in Napier on Friday night, as Counties Manukau came roaring back late.

Up 28-6 at halftime, the hosts in the end clung on for a dramatic 33-32 win – their 12th successful defence, which equals the run they enjoyed in 2014-15.

The Log o’ Wood next goes on the line on August 27, against North Harbour.

On Sunday, Bay of Plenty ran in six tries to steamroller Taranaki 46-6 at Tauranga Domain.

In a match dominated by an impressive Steamers pack, lock Justin Sangster gave the hosts the lead after eight minutes when multiple phases of pressure allowed him to score from close range.

Four minutes before the break the Steamers extended their advantage, Tevita Mafielo barrelling over after more powerful ball carrying from the home side’s tight five.

The second half was even more one-sided, the Steamers running in four more tries as the scoreline blew out to a 40-point margin.

For Bay of Plenty, it marked a return to the win column after their agonising 37-35 loss to Wellington last weekend, while Taranaki have lost both their fixtures having gone down 13-11 to Northland in their opener.

In Invercargill, Auckland were given an almighty scare by Southland, hanging on for a 24-23 victory in a game delayed by a burnt cheese roll that set off a fire alarm and saw the main stand at Rugby Park evacuated early in the second half.

The visitors led 14-6 at halftime courtesy of a penalty try and a Jackson Pugh score.

But the Stags fought back after the break, a converted try from Issac Te Tamaki getting them within four points, before a penalty from Marty Banks made it a one-point game with 18 minutes to go.

Salesi Rayasi seemed to have put the game to bed when he crossed for Auckland’s third five-pointer three minutes later, until a last-gasp try to Jakob Morrison and a conversion from Greg Dyer with the last kick of the match gave the visitors a fright and gave the Stags a hard-earned bonus point.

Auckland are three from three and lead the Evens conference with 14 points, while Southland have lost their opening two matches to prop up the Odds conference.

In the final match of the round, North Harbour wing Tevita Li scored a hat-trick of tries as the ruthless hosts hammered an outgunned Manawatū 64-14 at North Harbour Stadium.

Shaun Stevenson, Cameron Suafoa, Jay Fonokalafi, Jack Heighton, Siaosi Nginingini and Mark Telea also crossed the chalk as North Harbour ran in nine tries against the hapless Turbos, who only had a penalty try and a Tima Fainga’anuku score to show for their efforts.

AT A GLANCE

NPC, Rd 2

Auckland 45 (Niko Jones, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Terrell Peita, Jordan Trainor, Sofai Maka, Hamish Dalzell tries; Simon Hickey 6 con, pen) Manawatū 18 (Ed Fidow, Johnny Galloway tries; Brett Cameron con, 2 pen) HT: 24-11.

Hawke’s Bay 33 (Lincoln McClutchie, Kianu Kereru-Symes, Neria Fomai, Solomone Funaki, Tyrone Thompson tries; McClutchie 4 con) Counties Manukau 32 (Ahsee Tuala, Cameron Roigard, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Ioane Moananu tries; Riley Hohepa 3 con, 2 pen) HT: 28-6.

Otago 25 (Ray Nu’u, Thomas Umaga-Jensen tries; Cameron Millar 5 pen) Tasman 19 (Timoci Tavatavanawai, Quentin MacDonald tries; Campbell Parata 3 pen). HT: 11-8.

Waikato 16 (Rhys Marshall try; Damian McKenzie con, 3 pen) Northland 10 (Josh Moorby try; Rivez Reihana con, pen). HT: 6-10.

Canterbury 43 (Cullen Grace 2, George Bell, George Bridge, Dallas McLeod, Willi Heinz tries; Fergus Burke 4 con, pen, Alex Harford con) Wellington 10 (Pepesana Patafilo try; Jackson Garden-Bachop con, pen). HT: 15-10.

Bay of Plenty 46 (Justin Sangster, Tevita Mafielo, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Inga Finau, Emoji Narawa, Nikora Broughton tries; Kaleb Trask 4 cons, 3 pens, Wharenui Hawera con) Taranaki 6 (Jayson Potroz 2 pen). HT: 17-6

Southland 23 (Issac Te Tamaki, Jakob Morrison tries; Marty Banks con, 3 pen, Greg Dyer con) Auckland 24 (Jackson Pugh, Salesi Rayasi tries, penalty try; Harry Plummer 2 con, one pen). HT: 6-14

North Harbour 64 (Tevita Lee 3, Shaun Stevenson, Cameron Suafoa, Jay Fonokalafi, Jack Heighton, Siaosi Nginingini, Mark Telea tries; Bryn Gatland 4 con, 1 pen, Shaun Stevenson 3 con, Alex Fidow con) Manawatū 14 (Tima Fainga’anuku, penalty try; Brett Cameron con). HT: 29-7

Points (games played):

Odds pool: Hawke’s Bay 8 (2), Bay of Plenty 7 (2), Waikato 7 (2), Counties Manukau 6 (2), Otago 5 (2), Wellington 5 (2), Southland 2 (2).

Evens pool: Auckland 14 (3), Canterbury 10 (2), North Harbour 5 (2), Tasman 5 (2), Northland 5 (2), Taranaki 1 (2), Manawatū 0 (3).