Mooloo men march on to top spot

Richard Kahui dives over for his sixth try of the cup competition, against North Harbour yesterday. Picture / Sarah Ivey

Waikato 31 North Harbour 15

The job was done by halftime, Waikato having effectively nailed top spot for the quarter-finals with a resounding first 40 minutes in Hamilton.

In that time, they rattled on 31 points, including four tries, to get a bonus point. They were kept scoreless in the second spell, and Harbour had the small consolation of finishing with a strong final quarter.

But Harbour, who would have finished top had they won by any margin, were lacklustre in the important first spell, beaten in all respects around the park.

They'll deny any hangover from their Ranfurly Shield win last week, but they lacked the urgency of their hosts.

Having seen Auckland toppled in Christchurch the night before, Waikato could see a path stretching to the Air New Zealand Cup final on October 21, and all at their beloved Waikato Stadium if they won yesterday. They'll host eighth-placed Southland this week and go from there.

"We're pretty happy. Our goals have been well and truly achieved and however far we go it's nice to know we'll play in front of our home crowd," captain Steven Bates said last night.

By halftime, the numbers told a story: Waikato had 70 per cent of the territory, 71 per cent of possession, had won 9 of 12 lineouts, led the ruck and maul count 59-21 and had made just 24 tackles compared with Harbour's 66.

It was Byron Kelleher's first start of the cup and he was influential in that game-deciding period. First he burrowed over the line from a ruck in the third minute. Later he ran right, then fed Sitiveni Sivivatu an in-pass which the elusive All Black took to the tryline on an angled run.

In between, Sivivatu capitalised after Harbour messed up at a ruck, dribbling then gathering the ball, propping, changing direction to score his first try. Richard Kahui's sixth try of the cup was his easiest, an overlap on the right 5m out.

But Waikato went off the boil in the second spell. Maybe it was a case of job done, and, to be fair, Harbour lifted their game.

Still, it took smart work by Harbour wing Rudi Wulf to tidy up with Kahui and the impressive Dwayne Sweeney on his back chasing a grubber to the tryline soon after the restart. Then the coaches cleared their benches and although that helped to keep the back-up players in work ahead of the knockout stage, it took some of the cohesion out of the contest.

Harbour, who lost the lineouts roughly 3-1, benefited from the arrival of halfback Junior Poluleuligaga for the second half and Tusi Pisi coming in at first five-eighths moved Luke McAlister out one spot, which brought rewards.

A Pisi run beat the Waikato defence and McAlister was on his shoulder for a 20m run to the line 18 minutes from the end. Then Harbour's pack got some reward with an expert lineout win and drive to the Waikato line for replacement hooker Ngarimu Simpkins to shove his way over the line.

The big pluses for Waikato? Another solid 80 minutes from Keith Robinson, the sparky Kelleher, more proof, not that it was needed, that the electric Sivivatu must be involved as much as practically possible, and a general thread of confidence that their season is in good shape at the business end.

Harbour had some good moments, but after the horse had bolted. Still, they'll figure they are travelling alright, and they're at home for their quarter-final against Otago, who they beat at Albany a fortnight ago.