North Harbour stay on track for semifinals

Luke McAlister in action during the Bay of Plenty v North Harbour match in Rotorua tonight. Bradley Ambrose/Getty Images

North Harbour gained some measure of revenge on last year's NPC first division rugby nemesis Bay of Plenty with a decisive 41-8 win at Rotorua tonight.

The boot of first five-eighth Luke McAlister guided North Harbour to a well deserved win in a spectacle spoiled by heavy rain at Rotorua International Stadium.

Bay of Plenty, who crashed to their fifth loss in six matches, trailed 8-19 at halftime and were kept scoreless for the last 50 minutes.

North Harbour kept their semifinal hopes alive, something that ended at the hands of the same opponents last year.

In the final round-robin match of 2004, Bay of Plenty snuck home 14-9 in a virtual quarterfinal to qualify for the playoffs.

The home side's chances tonight dipped in the fourth minute when first five-eighth Murray Williams was forced off with a wrist injury and was replaced by the inexperienced Mike Delany.

An accomplished display from opposite number McAlister, who kicked 19 points in a seven-from-nine performance and ran cleverly, was at the heart of North Harbour's win.

They also conceded fewer penalties and made fewer basic mistakes with a slippery ball.

McAlister's two early penalties countered one to Delany before the hosts took the lead for the only time through a try to winger David Johnston.

It came after 30 minutes from a Grant McQuoid grubber kick which was fumbled by North Harbour fullback George Pisi.

North Harbour surged clear before the break with two more McAlister penalties and a try to winger Zar Lawrence, who sprinted 70m after Anthony Tuitavake knocked the ball clear with a crunching tackle on centre McQuoid.

McAlister landed his fifth penalty and converted the try of flanker Tom Harding before North Harbour picked up an unlikely bonus point for four tries.

That came through tries to reserves Adrian Donald and Joel Nasmith in the final 5min.

- NZPA