RUGBY - Sorry but Cup bid is on critical list

Sorry to make you choke on your avocado sandwich, but how's this for an assessment of the Northland rugby team right now: Heartland Cup material.
Northland lost to Tasman 31-10 at Okara Park on Saturday night. As if losing to the other team in the firing line for demotion from Air NZ Cup status next year was not hard enough to swallow, this one was delivered with a hearty helping of humble pie, demonstrating that the wheels of the Northland rugby team are close to coming off completely.
Now the team are facing a six-day turnaround to try and compose themselves for a showdown with Canterbury. The chances of finding redemption in what may yet be Northland's last stand in the premier ranks of provincial rugby are running out fast.
Northland play Canterbury on Friday night, then head to Albany to face North Harbour before hosting Manawatu ahead of the increasingly unlikely chance of challenging for the Ranfurly Shield against Auckland. A quarter-finals appearance was kissed goodbye two weeks ago.
In the meantime, they have lost another player for the season, prop Tony Coughlan breaking his hand on Saturday night, and have a serious psychological battle to win before they even think about tackling the red and blacks on Friday night.
"Disappointing doesn't really say the half of it," Northland coach Mark Anscombe said.
"There was only one team in it for the first 20 minutes, we could not have executed what we wanted to do any better, the only thing we couldn't do was finish it. It's tough, the intent and endeavour is there but we have the same guys making the same mistakes over and over again.
"We have got to be fresh and get them up, we are another prop down, our three props we had at the start of the year are all gone. I guess when things aren't going well they multiply.
"The truth of it? Not all of our guys are in good enough condition. It all comes back to the fact that we had 14 guys in training before we went to camp. In other years, we had guys in full squad training well before the competition. This year ... we didn't even know who we had until three weeks before kick-off, and now we are paying for that."
On Saturday, a new-look starting team - new midfield, loose forward combinations and lineout lock - pinned Tasman on to their haunches with a series of enterprising raids.
But a wayward pass saw Tasman score an intercept try, winger Blair Cook burning off the defence on a 85-metre dash to glory, and in the process dented the fragile Northland confidence enough to swing the game in Tasman's favour.
Northland were still in the hunt at halftime, down just 14-10 thanks to a try from fullback Jared Payne and yet another exceptional performance from game-breaking back Rene Ranger, but it only took Tasman 10 minutes of the second spell to take control of the match.
First Tasman's goal-kicking ace Miah Nikora nailed a penalty, then Cook sidled past bemused defenders to score his second.
But the brutal truth of the matter was evident before the break. Northland were bereft of ideas and strangely serene during a game which had such outward significance.
Even David Holwell, Northland's points-scoring talisman, missed penalty goals while also handing Cook his first try with a weird pass.
By the time the clock ticked into the final quarter of the game, Tasman were ruling the roost. Northland were being pummelled at the tackle and conceding turnovers at the breakdown and, despite repeated attacking charges from Ranger, a couple of spectacular breaks from winger Fetu Vainikolo and mind-numbing work in the rough stuff from skipper Justin Collins, the home team just couldn't make a game of it.
At fulltime Tasman had banked a bonus point try, halfback Kahn Fotuali'i making amends for an earlier spell in the sin bin for a nasty head-high tackle by getting the magical fourth touchdown, and underlined their claim as a nestbed of talent for the Crusaders Super 14 team.
When the final whistle blew, Northland were a rabble - resorting to puzzling attacking forays without pattern or imagination. Meanwhile, Tasman added substance to their own case against demotion.