In a stunning game of rugby in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon , Waikato swept aside the All Black-laden Canterbury side 59-41 to retain their lead on the NPC First Division.

Rugby does not come much better than this , the Waikato forwards magnificent as time and again they charged into Mark Hammett's eight to set up quick, clean possession for their dangerous backs. Marty Holah was simply outstanding, outpointing All Black incumbent Richie McCaw, but Deon Muir , Royce Willis, Keith Robinson , Deacon Manu and David Briggs were not far behind. Behind this pack, fly half Derek Maisey flourished , his hat trick of tries reward for his excellent option taking and dangerous running. Outside him , Regan King again impressed and Keith Lowen invariably took the ball over the advantage line to get his forwards going forward. Reihana and Randle were , as always, live wires on the wings, the former also deadly with his goal kicking. In all he scored 24 points.

The defending champions competed ferociously , at one point scrambling back from a 24-5 deficit and always dangerous whilst just one score away from the home side. But the relentless onslaught to which they were subjected eventually told , the final margin of defeat a fair reflection of the hammering they had taken.

50 points were scored in each half, Waikato building up a 31-19 interval lead and in the process securing the bonus point for four tries. An early Reihana penalty was followed up by tries from Muir , Randle and a double from Maisey, Reihana converting all four. Canterbury looked their most dangerous in the ten minutes before half time, Nathan Mauger and Maddock scoring in quick succession to remind the home crowd of Canterbury's pedigree.

A Ben Blair try three minutes after the resumption , converted by Mehrtens , brought Canterbury to within touching distance, but a spate of Waikato scoring from that point onwards took them beyond the Cantabrians. Holah spun out of tackle to get his side going in the second half, Reihana kicked three quick penalties , Randle scored his second and Maisey his third. Tries from subs Tupuailei and Robinson kept the gap to respectable proportions but in the end there was really only one side.

Will this performance by Waikato , and this defeat of Canterbury, shake the confidence of the All Black selectors as they move towards the end of season European tour ? Probably not, it simply gives them more options in some positions, especially amongst the forwards. A scintillating display of rugby which showed NPC rugby at its awesome best.

Scorers :

Waikato : 59 Tries : Maisey ( 3 ), Randle ( 2 ), Muir, Holah. Conversions : Reihana ( 6 ). Penalties : Reihana ( 4 ).

Canterbury : 41 : Tries : Marshall, Nathan Mauger, Maddock, Blair, Tupuailei, Robinson. Conversions : Mehrtens ( 4 ) Penalty : Mehrtens

Teams :

Waikato : Todd Miller, Roger Randle, Regan King, Keith Lowen, Bruce Reihana, Derek Maisey, Isaac Boss, Deon Muir ( captain ), Marty Holah, Jonno Gibbes, Keith Robinson, Royce Willis, Deacon Manu, Greg Smith, David Briggs.

Subs : Scott Linklater, Tony Philp, Steven Bates, Scott Couch, Rhys Duggan , Loki Crichton, Matt Priscott.

Canterbury : Ben Blair, Joe Maddock, Nathan Mauger, Aaron Mauger, Caleb Ralph, Anrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall, Scott Robertson, Richard McCaw, Sam Broomhall, Chris Jack, Daniel Turner, Greg Somerville, Mark Hammett, Dave Hewett.