Taranaki 31
Canterbury 20
It's a big jump from being nearly men to convincing as the real deal, but Taranaki made it yesterday on the day they celebrated their 125th anniversary.
That's their reward for beating Canterbury - they join the big boys, become the sort of side that has to be taken seriously. That's the way to celebrate a special landmark - stamp an authentic claim as a contender.
New Plymouth locals will say this performance was coming. The imports have gradually been becoming more effective and setting high standards. New coach Colin Cooper is getting through to the players and their all round work yesterday alluded to this being a well organised team full of belief and confidence.
The forwards stood up well. Very well. The scrums were about even, the lineouts about even and the collisions about even. Against Canterbury, that's a moral victory.
Where Taranaki were better was in their tactical application. It wasn't a day for frills and Champagne. Taranaki were quick to hack through dropped balls and pound into the corners. They also benefited to the tune of two tries from Sonny Bill Williams' inability to tidy up ball on the deck.
Twice Williams, having done superbly well to be the first man back, failed to slide and scoop loose ball. He attacked the dive head on and guddled twice - pushing the ball over his own tryline twice and Taranaki pounced twice. It gave the home side 14 easy points.
But there was plenty of good from Williams, too. His combination with Robbie Fruean took another step forward. They ran off each other well in the first half before the game lost momentum in the second.
The better that partnership becomes, the stronger the case for the All Blacks to take Fruean to Europe to partner Williams who is a touring certainty. Yet this wasn't a day to think about the plight of individuals. It was the collective effort of Taranaki; their determination; their commitment and desire that stole a day when the conditions were ludicrously difficult as well as being ridiculously changeable. The wind couldn't make its mind up and the rain came and went.
That's what made it all the more remarkable that the quality of rugby was as good as it has been in any game this season. Certainly the first-half tries were the reward for enterprise, creativity and skill.
The fact Canterbury were restricted to just two was also reward for Taranaki's defensive effort. They were quick off the line and there might not be another team who restricts Williams the way they did.
The former NRL man managed three offloads in his first three carries but was shut down after that. And that is surely the key to playing Canterbury - close down Williams, close down Canterbury.
Stephen Brett set up the opening score of the game with a thrilling break when he used the twin towers threat of Williams and Fruean to let the Taranaki defence drift, threw the dummy and took off before feeding Sean Maitland.
Ben Souness scored a belter when he took off from the base of a scrum, skinned George Whitelock and then got on the outside of wing Patrick Osborne. If only that had been the low of the day for Osborne - sadly it wasn't. The big wing had a shocker under the high ball and made it all too easy for Taranaki.
In such turbulent weather conditions it made sense for Taranaki to kick with the wind at their backs in the first half and they earned heavy profits from Osborne who just couldn't cope.
Taranaki 31 (B. Souness, K. Baker, G. Pisi, J. Hoeata, B. Barrett tries; W. Ripia 2 cons; B. Barrett con) Canterbury 20 (S. Maitland, S. Williams tries; S. Brett 2 cons, 2 pens). HT:19-10
