Impressive Mako make early waves

Tasman’s trick is to do it in a final now.

Runners-up to Canterbury in each of the last two national provincial seasons, the Mako struck first blood for 2018 by beating the red-and-blacks 25-17 in Blenheim on Friday. It’s better for Tasman than the 39-0 thrashing Canterbury dished out to them in round one last year but no more meaningful in the long run.

Tasman are a quality union, boasting a well-coached team and a bounty of Super Rugby talent. On that basis, Friday’s win doesn’t rate as an upset. It was still a handy sign of their evolution from a bit part of the Crusaders’ family, to sharing equal billing with Canterbury.

Again, though, the important thing is to win when it matters, as Canterbury do year after year.

Wellington, who top the premiership standings after yesterday’s 34-16 bonus-point win over Otago, renew acquaintances with Canterbury in Christchurch on Saturday. Hawke’s Bay were yesterday’s other winners, going to Invercargill and beating fellow championship side Southland 31-10 despite being playing with two men in the sinbin during the second half.

Taranaki are one of the teams tipped to contend for this year’s title, so their 30-10 defeat to Bay of Plenty on Saturday would have to rate as a genuine upset. The Steamers hadn’t beaten Taranaki for 12 years, while it was the amber-and-blacks’ first defeat in Rotorua since 1975.

But the most eyebrow-raising part was that Taranaki are Ranfurly Shield holders. Regardless of personnel, it’s typical for holders to make a fast start to the competition purely on the basis of having had two or three defences while the rest of the teams aren’t even training together yet.

Taranaki now face a shield defence against Manawatu on Friday. The Turbos are coming off a very handy 24-19 win at home over Waikato.

Auckland, meanwhile, hung on to beat Counties Manukau 23-19 at Eden Park on Saturday, having led 20-14 at halftime. Both should be better for the run, in what was an often untidy affair.

Sam Cane is pretty tight with Brodie Retallick, so who better to provide a little humour and perspective to the ravefest about the do-it-all All Blacks lock.

Retallick was nothing short of sensational in the All Blacks’ 38-13 victory over the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, highlighting a virtuoso performance with an outrageous dummy and 25-metre charge to the line during a sizzling second half from the New Zealanders.

On an evening when his second-row mate Sam Whitelock became the eighth member of the All Blacks centurion’s club, and as a duo they drew to within two tests of the all-time record mark, Retallick stole the headlines with another display that reminded everyone he is the best lock in the world game, bar none.

Cane, of course, as a Chiefs and All Blacks team-mate has seen it all. But he admitted that he never fails to marvel at the standards his ‘‘mullet fraternity’’ compadre brings to the test arena.

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‘‘I’m also pretty wary that we talk him up too much because his head can inflate quite quickly.’’ Sam Cane on Brodie Retallick

and two at scrum time, and laid the foundation for their team’s dominant second half.

‘‘The first half was a grinding type battle but, in the second half, our set piece was right up there on our own ball and also causing havoc for them. It’s hard to play when you’re not having clean lineout ball and when