News

Northland romp past Manawatu

September 28 2008

Northland's slender hopes of an Air New Zealand Cup quarter-final place remain alive after Sunday's comfortable 45-24 win over bottom side Manawatu at Okara Park in Whangarei.

Northland, who successfully appealed to remain in the competition next year, moved up to 10th with the six-tries-to-four win at Okara Park in Whangarei but need other results to go their way in the final round next weekend if they are to make the last eight.

The cool head of fly-half David Holwell, who scored 15 points with the boot, and some enterprising work in the backs laid the platform for Northland's win.

Manawatu, however, showed plenty of spirit and were prepared to run themselves out of trouble even when they were 24-7 down.

It was that same sense of adventure that produced a try for wing Lote Raikabula with little more than 10 minutes gone.

The converted score was all Manawatu had to show for their first-half efforts as after that initial burst Northland who began to assert themselves.

Francis Smith scored after Jared Payne's break and off-load set up the hooker for his try.

Holwell converted and added another penalty just before the half-hour mark to put the home side 10-7 up.

That soon became 17-7 when Daniel Goodwin rumbled over from close range and Holwell added the extras.

Then with three minutes of the first half to go scrum-half Brenton Helleur scored a wonderful solo effort when he raced 40 metres up field, fending off some desperate tackles by Manawatu to touch down by the posts and with Holwell converting again Northland had a comfortable 24-7 lead at the break.

Raikabula scored his second 11 minutes after the re-start, but in a mirror image of the first half, Northland gained the upper hand after that.

Rene Ranger got the Taniwhas a bonus point with a fourth try after Fetu'u Vainikolo caught his own chip kick to feed Gus Collins, who off-loaded to the midfield back who stretched out to score in the corner.

Then three minutes later Vainikolo took a quick tap and hared off down the left wing to touch down to rub more salt into Manawatu's wounds.

But the Turbos refused to crumble and scored their third try when Hamish Gosling was given the benefit of the doubt, although it appeared he lost the ball as he went to ground it.

There was no doubt about their bonus-point fourth try though as centre Johnny Leota burst through a gap in the Northland defence and sprinted clear to score.

But Ranger had the final say when he successfully chased a kick down field to stroll in under the posts and Holwell rounded off the match with his sixth conversion.

The scorers:

For Northlands:

Tries: Smith, Goodwin, Helleur, Ranger 2, Vainikolo

Cons: Holwell 6

Pen: Holwell

For Manawatu:

Tries: Raikabula 2, Gosling, Leota

Cons: Thompson, Taylor

The teams:

Northland: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Rene Ranger, 13 Aden Dewes, 12 Derek Carpenter, 11 Fetu Vainikolo, 10 David Holwell, 9 Brenton Helleur, 8 Justin Collins (c), 7 Joel McKenty, 6 John Cocker, 5 Marty Veale, 4 Dan Goodwin, 3 Bronson Murray, 2 Francis Smith, 1 Tony Coughlan.

Replacements: 16 Tyler Ashworth, 17 Jason Hammond, 18 Roy Griffin, 19 Blair Urlich, 20 James Rodley, 21 Ash Moeke, 22 Mike Davis.

Manawatu: 15 Kurt Baker, 14 Lote Raikabula, 13 Leota Johnny, 12 Frankie Bryant (c), 11 Andre Taylor, 10 Isaac Thompson, 9 Steven Treleavan, 8 Mitchell Crosswell, 7 Doug Tietjens, 6 Nick Crosswell, 5 Adaam Ross, 4 Hayden Triggs, 3 David Te Moana, 2 Sean O'Connor, 1 Grant Polson.

Replacements: 16 Rob Foreman, 17 Ma'afu Fia, 18 Paul Rodgers, 19 Hamish Gosling, 20 Joggie Viljoen, 21 Tomasi Cama, 22 Francisco Bosch.

Referee: Brent Murray

TMO: Steve Walsh