National championship semifinalists already taking shape

Who’s hot and who’s not has become abundantly clear after week seven of this year’s Mitre 10 Cup.

Provinces set for semi-final spots have come to the fore in the premiership and championship divisions and Canterbury are one more Ranfurly Shield defence away from keeping it for the summer.

Their seventh defence, a comfortable 37-17 win over Waikato in Christchurch on Saturday, sent them back to top spot ahead of an intriguing clash with secondplaced Taranaki next Friday, which will go a long way to deciding who finishes first ahead of the finals.

The Log O’ Wood also goes on the line again in what’s likely to be Canterbury’s sternest challenge of 2017 but both themselves and Taranaki are guaranteed of at least con- testing the premiership semifinals.

Taranaki beat Tasman 40-26 last Thursday, in a game where Makos wing Viliami Lolohea was sent off after receiving two yellow cards for dangerous tackles on Seta Tamanivalu.

North Harbour, who occupy third place, just need a point in their final three games to claim a semifinal place with Canterbury and Taranaki after scraping past Hawke’s Bay in Albany on Friday. Bryn Gatland’s late penalty secured a 33-30 victory against a much-improved Hawke’s Bay outfit, who’ve still won just once.

Auckland grabbed a vital win against Bay of Plenty at Eden Park on Saturday to move off the bottom of the premiership and look at potentially nabbing fourth from Tasman in the final two rounds.

A crucial 38-19 bonus point victory saw Auckland leapfrog Waikato and Counties Manukau into fifth spot.

The Mooloos suffered their fifth consecutive defeat against Canterbury and haven’t registered a competition point in their last four matches.

Canterbury scored all 37 points against Waikato in 24 minutes either side of half-time as the Mooloos battled away but ultimately for no reward.

Week seven started with Northland’s narrow victory over Otago in Whangarei last Wednesday, which was a crucial result for the Taniwha.

Northland won 32-30 to shore up their place in the top four.

Wellington will finish to top of the championship and have hosting rights for the final should they get there after holding off Otago 27-24 in Wellington yesterday.

Southland registered their first competition point in losing 25-20 to Manawatu in Invercargill on Saturday.

The Stags have played eight and lost eight.