Canterbury seal quarterfinal berth, Auckland repel surging Mako
CANTERBURY have sealed their NPC playoffs spot with two games to play after a 44-39 win over Counties Manukau yesterday.
Their bonus-point victory at Navigation Homes Stadium has shot them further clear at the top of the Evens Conference, which should secure them top spot in a fortnight’s time.
They were pushed in
Pukekohe by a Cam Roigard-inspired Steelers side, who fought back courageously when the game looked gone, and in the end bagged a second bonus point with time up, to help their battle in a tight Odds Conference.
But in an entertaining six-tries-to-five contest, the hosts just left themselves too much to do when down by 19 near the hour-mark. They hit back with tries in the 62nd and 66th minutes, and when Canterbury’s Corey Kellow knocked on a metre from the line it looked like the hot favourites could indeed be vulnerable.
However, they made amends when replacement Dallas McLeod smashed onto a cut-out pass from Rameka Poihipi to essentially seal the deal in the 74th minute.
Auckland broke a two-game losing streak and put a further dent in Tasman’s quarterfinal hopes after a 30-27 victory at Eden Park.
A 76th-minute try to a burrowing Blake Gibson proved the match-winner for the hosts, before the blindside flanker then got up and snatched a lineout as the Mako, who outscored the hosts four tries to three, fought hard after the siren.
Despite being well behind in possession and territory, and having captain Harry Plummer spend time in the sin bin, Auckland took a 17-15 lead to halftime.
After AJ Lam latched onto a grubber from Bryce Heem and, on the back of a great Salesi Rayasi break, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck dived over a ruck in a try, the hosts got out to a handy 14-3 advantage.
However, the Mako stormed back with two tries in four minutes as a Levi Aumua offload crazily ricocheted off the head of Max Hicks for Sione Havili
Talitui to run away, then Aumua surged to collect a Plummer kick, bashed Taufa Funaki out of the way and fed Macca Springer.
Tasman then surged in the second stanza, as Willy Havili sent a pin-point cross-kick for Fetuli Paea to dive over, then they led by seven when Paea turned provider on a slick left-hand attack off the lineout, with his wide ball putting Springer over for his double, and giving the Mako a bonus point.
With a Plummer penalty reducing the margin to four, Auckland went in search of a late score and they were able to turn
their pressure into Gibson’s try.