Another problem to tackle
It’s difficult to believe the Highlanders have been working tirelessly on midfielder Sio Tomkinson’s tackle technique.
The same bloke who attempted to decapitate Auckland’s Simon Hickey in Dunedin on Saturday afternoon, when Otago’s Tomkinson rammed his shoulder into Hickey’s head.
But, apparently they have. Heck, rewind a month and thenHighlanders coach Aaron Mauger was defending him after he walloped Crusaders prop Oli Jager off the ball, a blow which halted play for about 10 minutes and resulted in Jager being hospitalised.
Mauger called Tomkinson’s tackle quality and technique ‘‘really good’’, a result of the Highlanders and the 24-year-old working diligently to avoid any further blemishes to his disciplinary record.
Yet here we are. Tomkinson faces a lengthy stint on the sideline after he was red carded after the hooter in Otago’s 38-6 loss to Auckland.
Auckland and All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane labelled it ‘‘a cheap shot’’ after the match, and cited Tomkinson’s hit-man reputation from as far back as his Otago Boys’ High School playing days.
Tomkinson was suspended for three matches earlier this year for an ugly shot on Brumbies fullback Tom Banks. Initially, he was yellow carded, before the Sanzaar foul play committee deemed it warranted a red card.
His latest shot was a blight on what was an entertaining opening round of the Mitre 10 Cup.
Auckland’s big win has them sitting atop the premiership, although Waikato, reigning champions Tasman and Canterbury also recorded bonus-point wins.
A plethora of All Blacks running around for their provinces for the first time in the best part of two decades certainly made for some tasty rugby, including Damian McKenzie torching Wellington with 33-points in a 53-28 win in Hamilton. McKenzie scored from a 90m intercept, and kicked a whopping six penalties and five conversions to doom last year’s finalists, who did get tries from Ardie and Julian Savea.
Making his Taranaki debut four years after starting his provincial career with Canterbury,
Jordie Barrett scored the matchsealing try as the amber-andblacks toppled Sam Cane’s Bay of Plenty 36-29 in Inglewood.
All Blacks captain Cane, who hasn’t tasted victory in more than six months, played the entire match, but couldn’t stop new All Black Tupou Vaa’i scoring two tries.
All Blacks rake Codie Taylor bagged two tries in Canterbury’s 43-29 win against North Harbour on Friday night.
Fellow Crusaders hooker Andrew Makalio also scored twice – both from lineout drives – in Tasman’s 41-24 win against former All Blacks skipper Kieran Read’s Counties Manukau Steelers in Pukekohe on Saturday night.
The injection of All Black Aaron Smith wasn’t enough for the Turbos to withstand Northland’s furious comeback, as the Taniwha turned around a 20-3 deficit to romp to a 43-26 bonus point win in Whangarei.