25 and still counting for woeful Southland Round four
Southland are lucky there is no relegation in the Mitre 10 Cup.
It is now 25 straight losses for the struggling Stags, after being hammered 80-0 by Canterbury on Saturday.
Against Southland, the redand-blacks looked like the National Provincial Championship heavyweights they have always been, outscoring their opponents 12 tries to nil.
All Blacks second-five Ryan Crotty, who was included in the All Blacks squad for the World Cup earlier in the week, enjoyed a successful return from a broken thumb and scored twice in the rout as Canterbury finally got off the mark after beginning the season with three defeats.
It doesn’t get any easier for Southland who have not won since October 8, 2016. Next up for the Stags are Championship pacesetters Hawke’s Bay, who continued their perfect start to the 2019 campaign by beating Northland 42-28.
Hawke’s Bay wing Neria Fomai scored three times as the Magpies rallied from an early 10-point deficit.
The Taniwha kept in the fight, reducing the deficit to one at the hour mark, but Hawke’s Bay’s class shone through, as Fomai scored a crucial hat-trick try in the 65th minute before impressive halfback Folau Fakatava sealed the deal late on.
There was another hat-trick down south as Vilimoni Koroi’s three tries helped Otago see off a spirited Ranfurly Shield challenge from Manawatu¯ .
Looking to lift the Shield for the first time since their 1976-78 reign, Manawatu¯ led several times.
But ultimately it was the hosts who held strong, winning 37-20 while receiving some help from a couple of referee decisions that didn’t go the visitors way.
Meanwhile, nothing could split Waikato and Auckland. The two sides played out a scrappy 20-20 draw.
Waikato led by 10 points with 20 minutes to go but Auckland fought back through replacement hooker Leni Apisai’s 68th-minute try before Daniel Kirkpatrick landed a tough conversion and a late penalty to level the score.
Fletcher Smith had a chance to win the match at the death for Waikato but his long-range penalty attempt was wayward.
Round four started in spectacular fashion when Wellington scored after the hooter to stun Counties Manukau 29-22.
Captain Du’Plessis Kirifi was the hero for the Lions, streaking down the left flank to give Wellington the win after a draw looked likely.
In the early game yesterday, Bay of Plenty returned to winning ways by beating North Harbour 27-19.