KEY POINTS:
Unbeaten Canterbury joined Auckland atop the Air NZ Cup rugby standings by coasting to a nine-try 64-10 romp over Manawatu in Christchurch today.
Canterbury's maximum five-point enabled them to assume pole position on standings on points differential although that competition now temporarily takes a back seat with a Ranfurly Shield challenge in Hamilton looming on Saturday night.
Eleven months after losing the shield to North Harbour, Canterbury have a chance to regain it, although it was difficult to gauge their chances against Waikato after an erratic and often muddled dress rehearsal in perfect conditions today.
Canterbury always had the game in hand and as coach Rob Penney emptied his bench in the second half the contest lost its shape.
Despite winning their first match since joining the revamped competition against Bay of Plenty last week, Manawatu were never going to be pose a threat to an under-strength Canterbury.
Although guilty of going through the motions - and squandering at least two gilt-edged opportunities that will need to finished off next weekend - Canterbury's victory margin was the only imponderable.
They built an unattainable 29-3 buffer by halftime, having already banked the bonus point when flanker Kieran Read acrobatically grounded the ball after squeezing down the narrowest of blindsides in the 28th minute.
Read's score followed tries to Mose Tuiali'i, Stephen Brett and Steve Yates as the home side laid siege to the Manawatu line in the opening quarter.
Canterbury dominated from the kickoff, hemming Manawatu deep in their territory before a 13-phase raid culminated in Tuiali'i ploughing over under the crossbar.
Brett typically supplied some dashes of brilliance, creating one breakout from his own goal line before bursting into the line to nail the second try, also between the goalposts.
Manawatu's only reward came from a Matty James goal in the 15th minute after fullback Francisco Bosch milked a penalty by clattering into Tyson Keats after a chip and chase.
Bosch was also responsible for thwarting two promising incisions by Read and Casey Laulala in a brave defensive display.
He then conjured up a smart grubber kick ahead for Manawatu's solitary try, to Fijian wing Tomasi Cama to narrow the margin to 43-10.
Lock Issac Ross helped Canterbury post the half century before substitutes Kevin Senio and Johnny Leo'o dotted down late while Manawatu had replacement hooker Rob Foreman in the sinbin for a professional foul.
NZPA
