Waikato 23
Wellington 18
Canterbury 29
Taranaki 17
Waikato did little to announce themselves as genuine title bidders but the Mooloo men remained in the NPC frame with a win over Wellington in Hamilton last night.
A loss would have just about ended Waikato's hopes but their fourth win means they join Wellington on the fringes of the top four in the Air New Zealand Cup.
Urged on by a sparse home crowd, Waikato defended a 20-6 halftime lead with enought grit but little panache. They did just enough against a Wellington side which relied on six Daniel Kirkpatrick penalties for their points.
The pivotal moment turned out to be a strange scrum in the final minutes. Wellington, within striking distance of victory, demolished the Waikato scrum to give themselves an attacking feed, only to give up a tighthead despite remaining on the front foot.
A piece of ball playing magic from Waikato captain Liam Messam was the highlight of the first half.
With his side leading 13-6, Messam drifted across the back of a ruck towards the blindside, found a hole in the Wellington defence, held up the pass perfectly, and sent Sosene Anesi to the line.
If you had been looking for a man of the match to that point, it could well have been the Wellington No 8 Victor Vito. His deeds included one smashing tackle to turn defence into attack, and a rampaging run from a scrum which should have led to a try. It lacked for decent support though and Waikato wing Henry Speight's speed was able to snuff the opportunity out.
The match had opened full of try-scoring promise with new boy teenage prop Latu Talakai, the national under-20 frontrower, scoring from the charge down of an Alby Mathewson clearance.
But the game became bogged down in a typical penalty goal duel.
Wellington may have had the edge but they did not test Waikato with anything too dynamic or clever.
Waikato 23 (Latu Talakai, Sosene Anesi tries; Callum Bruce 3 pen, 2 con)
Wellington 18 (Daniel Kirkpatrick 6 pen). Halftime: 20-6.
* * *
A five-minute scoring blitz after halftime by Canterbury last night torpedoed Taranaki's Ranfurly Shield hopes.
The sides went to the break locked at 14-14 and Taranaki would have fancied their chances of regaining the trophy it last held in 1996.
But that wasn't to be as Canterbury first five-eighths Stephen Brett kicked a penalty straight after the break and then minutes later James Paterson scored which Brett converted.
Another try to impressive Sean Maitland, his second of the match, put the game beyond the visitors.
Canterbury 29 (Sean Maitland 2, Tu Umaga-Marshall, James Paterson tries; Stephen Brett pen, 3 con)
Taranaki 17 (Shayne Austin try; Willie Ripia 4 pen). Halftime: 14-14.
