Canterbury hit form to stun Mako
DESPERATE times, desperate rugby. That was the recipe for Canterbury in Blenheim last night as they produced probably their best performance of the Mitre 10 Cup season to stun the Tasman Mako 29-0 and snap a three-game losing skid in the allPremiership Crusaders derby.
The four-try, bonus-point victory, spearheaded by a turnback-the-clock display by veteran lock Luke Romano, achieved two important outcomes for the red-and-blacks, who came into the contest wedged firmly between a rock and a hard place with a 3-5 record, and bottom spot in the Premiership.
Firstly, it took them off the bottom rung of the Premiership, three points clear of Bay of Plenty who visit Waikato today. The unthinkable prospect of relegation, for the first time since the provincial competition was split into two divisions, remains a possibility, but the Cantabs at least have some wriggle room now.
Secondly, the win gives the 14-time provincial champions an outside shot at an unlikely semifinal spot, with some results likely to have to go their way in next weekend’s final round.
Canterbury, now on 24 competition points, will host Auckland next Sunday in their final round-robin clash and could be in the unusual position of having to win to both avoid relegation and make the semifinals. Go figure.
Tasman’s third defeat of the season might prove costly as they remain anchored on 29 points, now five points adrift of Premiership pacesetters Auckland, and possibly needing to win their round-robin finale in Dunedin to secure a home semi. It was an outstanding pressure display by the Cantabs, led by a princely effort from Romano, who snaffled four lineout steals, led a cast-iron defensive display and carried strongly throughout. He had plenty of help, with Billy
Harmon strong in the loose, Reed Prinsep making a good fist of his late shift to the second row and Josh McKay and teenager Chay Fihaki the best of a dangerous visiting backline.
The visitors brought all the urgency, had a feast at the lineout, and dominated the key forward exchanges to suffocate the Makowith their attitude and aggression. The home side never fired a shot.
The Cantabs, with those backs to the wall, came out flying for the first 40 to produce arguably their most clinical half of the season, running in two excellent tries en-route to a 17-0 lead. The home cause wasn’t helped when they lost influential midfielder Alex Nankivell (to a broken hand) after just 10 minutes and when Canterbury fullback McKay produced a moment of absolute magic to take their lead out to an imposing 17 the visitors were flying.
Wing Fihaki, 19, had fielded a clearance kick near halfway and found McKay 42m out. The gifted fullback then unleashed a stunning run where he stepped off his left foot to create the opening, then left a trail of defenders for dead with a succession of right shimmies to score a surefire contender for try-of-the-season. The Cantabs more or less sealed the deal when they soon backed up that seven-pointer.