Rugby: Canterbury back in winning mode

Paea Fa'anunu of Canterbury makes a break with the ball. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury 42
Manawatu 15

Canterbury ended a difficult week on a positive note by beating ITM Cup rugby rivals Manawatu 42-15 in Christchurch today.

They overpowered the visitors with six tries to produce smiles among the home camp following some trying times due to their Ranfurly Shield loss to Southland seven days ago then a midweek defeat to Wellington.

Manawatu were not helped by a strained Achilles suffered by key playmaker Aaron Cruden which forced the Chiefs' new Super 15 signing from the field midway through the first half.

But Cruden could not have prevented the result, which came after Canterbury wore down Manawatu's resistance on the back of a mountain of possession.

They led only 15-10 at halftime, hitting the front in the 41st minute when a long pass from flanker Matt Todd found right wing Telusa Veainu in space en route to the tryline.

Cruden had set up the match's first try in the 16th minute when he made an incisive break before a ruck close to the line saw halfback Aaron Smith dart over the line.

With Cruden converting to add to an earlier penalty Manawatu were 10-0 against the run of play but the weight of possession began to tell as the half wore on.

It was only a matter of time before Canterbury pierced the Manawatu defences and it duly arrived in the 36th minute when halfback Willi Heinz ended a counter attack launched by left wing Patrick Osborne, who beat two defenders and attracted three tacklers before offloading to the unmarked Heinz.

Manawatu's tenacity kept them in the contest despite Bleyendaal extending Canterbury's lead to 18-10 via his second penalty with 30min remaining but they were also gifted a reprieve when fullback Sean Maitland inexplicably dropped the ball with the line open following a storming run from lock Luke Romano.

The visitors came close to slashing the deficit midway through the second half when wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma produced a neat stab kick and chase only to be narrowly beaten to the ball in the in-goal area by Veainu.

But the result was put beyond doubt 15min from the end when a midfield bust by big centre Robbie Fruean created a try for substitute flanker Brendon O'Connor, who loomed up in support to accept the offload near the line.

Rookie first five-eighth Tyler Bleyendaal then capped a tidy game by applying the icing to the victory cake with a short range effort for his team's fourth and bonus try before Fruean extended his side's advantage when he latched on to a loose pass among the Manawatu back, swatted off Tomasi Cama and cantered 60m to the line.

Manawatu responded through Smith, who darted over for his second after a front of the lineout move featuring No 8 James Oliver but Canterbury deservedly had the final word when the visitors coughed up possession and Fruean made them pay with his second try.

Canterbury 42 (Robbie Fruean 2, Willi Heinz, Telusa Veainu, Brendon O'Connor, Tyler Bleyendaal tries; Bleyendaal 2 pen, 3 con) Manawatu 15 (Aaron Smith 2 tries; Aaron Cruden pen, con). Halftime: 15-10.

- NZPA