ITM Cup
Round three: Canterbury still top, Magpies win Shield
ESPN Staff
August 31, 2014
Tasman's Pete Samu (left) and Jimmy Cowan tackle Auckland's Peter Saili © Getty Images
Enlarge

Auckland 16-16 Tasman

Marty Banks kicked a penalty six minutes from full-time to claim a share of the spoils for Tasman at Eden Park today.

Banks had another kick two minutes from the siren, but his long attempt into the breeze just fell below the bar. Simon Hickey then had a chance to snatch victory on full-time but the Auckland No.10 pushed his penalty attempt to the right of the posts.

Auckland trailed 10-3 at half-time, but they finished strongly with the wind in the second half, through an excellent try from Steven Luatua and the boot of Hickey.

Hickey kicked the hosts into the lead for the first time, after 65 minutes, before Banks set up the tense finale.

Taranaki 41-3 Bay of Plenty

Taranaki has thrashed Bay of Plenty 41-3 in their ITM Cup clash in New Plymouth in a dominant six-tries-to nil performance.

The damage was done in the first half, Bay of Plenty going into the break behind 34-3 after tries to Cody Kei, Blade Thomson, Waisake Naholo, James Broadhurst and Charlie Ngatai.

Bay of Plenty paid the price for missing 18 tackles and fly-half Marty McKenzie rubbed slat into their wounds with a try late in the second stanza to extend the winning margin to 38 points. McKenzie also bagged four conversions and a penalty for a personal haul of 16 points.

Bay of Plenty sits last on the Championship table after a third successive defeat while Taranaki improved their Premiership record to two wins from four matches.

Counties Manukau 21-27 Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay reclaimed the Ranfurly Shield after beating Counties Manukau 27-21 in Pukekohe on Saturday.

In a tense affair, the forwards dominated despite both sides boasting strong backlines. The Magpies took advantage at set pieces, particularly in the lineouts, where the Steelers were woeful.

Hawke's Bay took a 20-9 lead into half-time through a brace from flanker Brendon O'Connor and a try to scrum-half Chris Eaton however Manukau half Augustine Pulu scored just after the break.

Winger Ryan Tongia made the most of an overlap against the run of play and touched down with 14 minutes remaining in what proved to be the winning try.

Otago challenge for the Shield in two weeks.

Hawke's Bay celebrate after taking the Ranfurly Shield from Counties Manukau © Getty Images
Enlarge

Southland 22-33 Otago

Hayden Parker kicked Otago to victory against Southland with an 18-point haul at Rugby Park in Invercargill on Saturday.

Southland was their own worst enemy, giving away too many penalties and Parker took full advantage, notching up four penalties as the home team lost 33-22.

Southland led 14-6 after just 12 minutes of play through tries to Willis Halaholo and Mark Jackman but Otago went into half-time ahead 23-14 after Teihorangi Walden and Michael Collins touched down.

Both sides traded penalty goals early in the second half however Otago scrum-half Josh Renton scored in the 54th minute to establish a commanding lead. John Hardie replied for Southland five minutes later however the scorers weren't troubled in the final quarter and Otago held on to claim the Donald Stuart Memorial Trophy.

Both Otago and Southland have two-win one-loss records after the first three rounds of the competition.

North Harbour 16-22 Waikato

Waikato returned to winning ways with a 22-16 defeat of North Harbour in an NPC cross-over match ruined as a spectacle by the weather.

Both teams scored a try each at a soggy North Harbour Stadium but Premiership division outfit Waikato earned victory over their Championship opponents courtesy of superior goalkicking from first five-eighth Damian McKenzie.

The 19-year-old is earning a reputation as a talented runner but it was his six from seven from the boot that was decisive, compared to North Harbour opposite Matt McGahan's four from six.

North Harbour remain winless following losses to Otago and Southland but can gain confidence from a competitive outing in a match marred by constant rain. Waikato opened their campaign with victory over Wellington before heavy losses to Canterbury and Taranaki.

Wellington 21-27 Manawatu

Wellington's woeful season start has continued as they were beaten 27-21 by Manawatu at Westpac Stadium on Friday night.

The Lions suffered shock losses to Waikato and Northland to begin the ITM Cup but this loss - in front of their home crowd - represents a crisis.

Despite having the likes of TJ Perenara and Jeremy Thrush, Wellington could not stop the demise in a dire affair. Handling errors were rampant and Wellington managed to butcher three golden scoring opportunities during a woeful first half, which saw the sides go to the break locked up at 6-6.

Wellington are now looking like relegation contenders and the playoffs are a distant dream at this point.

Manawatu held a seven-point advantage after fly-half Otere Black finished off a sweeping move for the visitors early in the second stanza. And in the final quarter, reserve scrum-half Jamie Booth celebrated his Manawatu debut in perfect fashion with a try that eventually helped secure victory, despite a late Wellington surge.

Manawatu, have now won two from three and will fancy their chances of pushing towards the playoffs in the Championship. Wellington will travel to Eden Park to meet Auckland next Saturday as they look to resurrect their ailing campaign, which is bordering on a disaster.

Otere Black finished off an excellent move from Hawke's Bay early in the second half © Getty Images
Enlarge

Canterbury 48-3 Northland

Canterbury have continued their imperious form with a third thumping victory from as many matches in the ITM Cup, scoring six tries to nil against Northland at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

Colin Slade also landed his eight goal kicks as championship side Northland fell in fashion similar to premiership rivals Auckland and Waikato in the previous two weeks even though their hosts failed to score for 24 minutes.

But the floodgates opened when scrum-half Mitchell Drummond, starting ahead of captain Willi Heinz, scored a try after a burst on from Milford Keresoma on the left wing. Nasi Manu claimed a pushover try six minutes later, the first of a brace from the No.8, and Canterbury went to the break leading 20-3 and ready to roll over the Taniwha in the second stanza.

Canterbury's Mitchell Drummond dives to score the opening try of the game © Getty Images
Enlarge

Waisake Naholo bookended the Waikato-Taranaki game with a brace of tries © Getty Images
Enlarge

Waikato 17-46 Taranaki

Taranaki opened round three of the ITM Cup with a record victory against Waikato, scoring six tries to two to claim the Ryan Wheeler Memorial Trophy in Hamilton.

The Amber-and-Blacks produced a complete team effort, creating try scoring opportunities, stealing a Waikato lineout and winning a scrum penalty after destroying the Mooloos' set-piece before opening the scoring through Waisake Naholo.

They went to half-time with a deserved 27-3 advantage, a record margin against Waikato, but they gifted their hosts a glimmer of hope with sloppy handling that conceded Declan O'Donnell a try shortly after the break. Waikato gained momentum and All Blacks half-back Tawera Kerr-Barlow put Joe Webber in at the corner with a miracle ball to suddenly the score 27-17. But Taranaki regained their composure to bag three more tries in posting a record score against Waikato.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.