Noah in hot form against Taranaki
If Taranaki’s NPC campaign wasn’t on life support before round six, it certainly is after their loss to Tasman yesterday.
A year after going undefeated and pushing for a revamp of the competition’s format, the amber and blacks plummeted to their fifth loss of the season, at Trafalgar Park in Nelson.
The 38-27 defeat leaves them sixth in the Odds conference with a miserable six competition points, 11 outside of playoff contention.
On the other hand, Tasman injected life into their season with the much-needed bonus point win, one they dearly needed to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Crusaders fans will have particularly enjoyed Tasman’s win on a day hooker Quentin MacDonald surpassed Robbie Malneek as the most capped Mako (105).
After all, one of their new signings – Noah Hotham – was at the forefront of the their third win of the season.
Hotham was everywhere in what threatened to be a blowout win at one stage, highlighted by scoring two tries and setting up another.
But it wasn’t just his ability with ball in hand that flashed. Hotham also made a try-saving tackle, earned a breakdown penalty, and ripped the ball from twotest All Black Pita Gus Sowakula’s grasp.
Those who watched the New Zealand under-20s earlier this year won’t be surprised, given he was a standout player during the Oceania series.
The Crusaders, who have also signed exciting Tasman outside back Macca Springer, pounced, signing him to a three-year deal.
Hotham scored both his tries from close-range in the first half against Taranaki, one of them after the ball popped out of the scrum against the feed.
Always asking questions around the fringes, it was his onehanded offload in the leadup to Levi Aumua’s try early in the second half which sealed the bonus point.
It gave them a 28-6 lead against a side which had mustered a competition-low six tries heading into round six.
But, sparked by Tom Florence finishing off a sweeping move from deep inside their own half, the amber and blacks suddenly resembled their 2021 selves, at least for periods.
Kini Naholo and Logan Crowley also ran in tries, but Mako replacement Tomasi Alosio iced the result with a 74th minute try.
Tasman weren’t the only ones who had to withstand a second half comeback on the day, with Wellington holding off fast-finishing Otago to snare a 32-26 win in the capital.
Otago sure love a lineout drive, scoring three of their four tries via the method to roar back into a game they trailed 26-7 late in the first half.
Hooker Henry Bell accounted for two of them, the second of which hauled the blue and golds to within striking distance with 16 minutes remaining.
However, despite being faced with opportunities, the visitors could not complete the comeback and avoid a third straight loss, leaving them on the outside looking in with games against heavyweights Waikato and Canterbury still to come.
Wellington, having led 19-0 inside the first quarter after TJ Perenara dived over from closerange, have won four straight to sit third in the Odds conference with three regular season matches to play.
In the final match of the round, Canterbury overcame a sluggish start and continued lineout issues to kick on from their 14-10 halftime lead and hammer Northland 46-17 in Christchurch.
Hooker Brodie McAlister, back after a stint on the sidelines with an elbow injury, came off the bench to score two second half tries for the hosts, whose bonus point win propelled them 10 points clear of second-placed Auckland in the Evens conference.
Wing Ngane Punivai also bagged a brace against the illdisciplined Taniwha, who copped a reality check without key players Tom Robinson and Josh Moorby