At a glance

Week one results:

Thursday

North Harbour 21 (Dillon Hunt, Tevita Li tries; Bryn Gatland 3 pen, Bryn Hall con); Northland 20 (Tom Robinson, Jono Kitto tries, Jack Debreczeni 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 11-7.

Friday

Tasman 25 (Levi Aumua, Quinten Strange, Solomon Alaimalo tries; Mitch Hunt 2 pen, 2 con) Canterbury 17 (Greg PleasantsTate 2 tries; Brett Cameron pen, 2 con). HT: 10-3.

Saturday

Manawatu 24 (Junior Laloifi 2, Fa’alelei Sione, Rob Thompson tries; Jade Te Rure, Sam Malcolm con) Waikato 19 (Sevu Reece, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Declan O’Donnell tries; Fletcher Smith 2 con). HT: 5-12.

Auckland 23 (Salesi Rayasi, Blake Gibson, Melani Nanai tries; Harry Plummer con, 2 pen), Counties Manukau 19 (Kalolo Tuiloma, Sam Henwood, Howard Sililoto tries; Latiume Fosita 2 con). HT: 20-14.

Bay of Plenty 30 (Liam Polwart, Kane Leaupepe, Aaron Carroll tries; Mike Delany 3 con, 3 pen) Taranaki 10 (Seta Tamanivalu try; Beaudein Waaka con, pen) HT:

14-10.

Sunday

Wellington 34 (Wes Goosen 2, Malo Tuitama 2 tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 4 con, 2 pen) Otago 16 (Kurt Hammer try; Finn Strawbridge 3 pen). HT: 17-6.

Hawke’s Bay 31 (Mark Braidwood, Josh Kaifa, Ash Dixon

2 tries; Tiaan Falcon 4 con, 1 pen) Southland 10 (Isaac Te Tamaki try; James Wilson con, Wilson pen) HT:

21-10.

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

❚

❚

❚

❚

❚