Tasman fire warning shot with big victory
Imagine if we could read the minds of the unwanted All Blacks who participated in the first round of the Mitre 10 Cup.
You would fill a notebook about their anger, disappointment, despair and relief.
The men not required for the Bledisloe Cup match in Perth had to deal with those emotions, and possibly more, as they pulled on their provincial colours at the weekend.
Lock Shannon Frizell (Tasman) and loosehead prop Karl Tu’inukuafe (North Harbour) were shipped back to their provinces after being chopped from the All Blacks squad ahead of the Bledisloe Cup tests, while midfielder Sonny Bill Williams was on deck for CountiesManukau.
Liam Squire, having made himself unavailable for the All Blacks before the international window, also returned to work for Tasman and was in good form as he scored a try during the 45-8 thumping of Wellington in the premiership match in Blenheim.
Squire played at No 8 and made an immediate impression with his bursts off the back of scrum before being replaced early in the second half by Jordan Taufua.
Frizell and Tu’inukuafe, who are unlikely to make the World Cup squad unless called in as injury cover, had to suppress their disappointment in the less glamorous battle grounds in Blenheim and a cavernous Eden Park in Auckland.
At least their teams got satisfactory results in their premiership games. North Harbour drew 28-28 with defending champions Auckland and could have won but for missing two late penalties.
Williams was part of a Counties side that lost 34-29 to Taranaki, but will have been satisfied to emerge unscathed; the big midfielder was relatively quiet in Pukekohe but was willing to attempt his trademark offloads as well as making a line break late in the game.
Canterbury, who lost last year’s premiership final to Auckland, suffered a 31-28 loss to an impressive Waikato in Hamilton.
Each side scored four converted tries with Fletcher Smith’s
penalty giving Waikato, promoted to the top division after winning the championship last year, a bonus point victory.
Another unwanted All Black, No 8 Luke Whitelock was in action for Canterbury and the skipper will need little reminding of the challenge that faces his side when it meets Tasman in Christchurch on Sunday.
Although the Cantabs grabbed two bonus points from their defeat, they will be annoyed to leak four tries – an area they have always prided themselves on.
In yesterday’s early match, Bay of Plenty handed Ranfurly Shield holders Otago a 50-7 thrashing in Tauranga.