Too many mistakes cost Taranaki in semifinal

The Taranaki players’ faces told the story after their heart breaking 41-29 Mitre 10 Cup semifinal loss to Tasman at Yarrow Stadium yesterday.

Some players embraced and others sunk to their knees, all the while the anguish was evident.

They felt they let themselves down with costly mistakes, especially late in the first half when Tasman ran in a couple of late tries to give them a decent buffer that Taranaki was never able to pull back.

‘‘Very, very disappointed,’’ Taranaki captain Mitchell Crosswell said.

‘‘The first half cost us. We were flat and we struggled to stay with them defensively because they move the ball really well. I thought we came out well in the second half but we just came up short.’’

Taranaki threatened to make a remarkable comeback but after they got to within five points with just a few minutes left Tasman got field position and turned it into the match winning try.

Crosswell thought ‘‘it definitely’’ felt like they were going to find a way to win when they got on that late roll but their mistakes and the good work of Tasman proved the difference.

‘‘We did show a hell of an attitude shift from where we were in the first half and we believed we would stick in there and get a result but they kicked a few penalties and that cost us.’’

While both sides scored five tries, it was the boot of Tasman’s Marty Banks that proved the difference and will see them play Canterbury next week.

Still, Crosswell was proud on reflection of what his team was able to achieve throughout the season after they lost so much experience from the previous season. The character of the side was also something he would reflect on.

‘‘No one hung their heads or gave up. If anything we got stronger as the game got on so you can’t fault the attitude of the boys.

‘‘It feels really bad that we won’t be turning up for training next week. That’s what the boys are really gutted about because we have got really close as a side and we really believed we could do something special.

‘‘As a group we have got really tight. There are a lot of good young guys and I believe we have got some real depth right across the board in this squad so we will be back.’’