RUGBY - Northland play like they have a new lease of life

Three tries by halftime, their second bonus point win in as many weeks and a shot at a quarterfinal play-off. Hang on a minute, somebody swab the Taniwha.
Bolstered by news of their extended life in the first division and with a sniff of an unexpected shot at becoming a starter in the Air NZ Cup play-offs next week, Northland hammered Manawatu 45-24 at Okara Park yesterday.
After conceding the early advantage, Northland made the most of an obvious superiority in the forwards to run in three counter-attacking first-half touchdowns, all of them on the end of long sequences of play after busting through tackles.
They then added two more tries in the second spell to strike wingers Rene Ranger and Fetu Vainikolo and have set up a critical battle with Auckland at Eden Park this weekend.
It will be a ding-dong affair, a Blues franchise showdown to savour, but on the evidence of Northland's defensive performance yesterday, could be a sobering game to end the season.
Manawatu stayed in touch thanks to the try-scoring feats of New Zealand Sevens star Lote Rakaibula, who scored twice, and banked a bonus point of their own with two more second-half five-pointers.
The visitors then frustrated a sizeable gathering of Taniwha fans sunning themselves on the terraces by attempting a comeback.
The clocked had just ticked past the three-quarter mark before Northland managed to bank the bonus-point try, a cracker from winger Rene Ranger after a magical chip and regather from Fetu Vainikolo.
It was party time from there on, Vainikolo adding the fifth touchdown from the restart with a 50m sprint that got the folk in the cheap seats on their feet.
Ranger then iced the cake with a magical try, his second, to end the game.
In light of the circumstances of last week's stay of execution from the New Zealand Rugby Union, and with upheaval imminent off the pitch, it was an ideal tonic. Before the year is out, and probably by the end of November, the entire Northland board of management will stand down en-masse, Northland lynchpins David Holwell and Justin Collins will more than likely retire and coach Mark Anscombe will resign. Those are the anticipated changes.
For the first time all year Northland can at least bank on being part of the Air NZ Cup next season.
But the prospect of a sudden-death top-eight play-off spot is still something to be regarded as fanciful at best.
The attacking dare of the Northland crew is now entrenched, but it has come at the expense of their defensive fortitude that was a hallmark early in the season. It was enough to bank a much needed home-ground victory yesterday though, and give a few more of those dyed-in-the-wool Taniwha supporters who bombarded NZRU offices with irate emails last month a reason to head to Eden Park this Sunday and yell themselves hoarse.
Northland 45 (Francis Smith, Dan Goodwin, Brenton Helleur, Rene Ranger 2, Fetu Vainikolo tries; David Holwell pen, 6 cons); Manawatu 24 (Lote Rakaibula 2, Johnny Leota, Hamish Gosling tries; Isaac Thomson, Andre Taylor con). Halftime: 24-7 Northland.