Unspectacular Waikato win clouded by early lunar lunacy

Waikato 24 Southland 12

So it's not just dogs that go mad in a full moon.

For the first 30 minutes of this quarter-final, the magnificent lunar spectacle coincided with some of the most haphazard, ill-conceived and outright silly rugby seen this season.

Then, as the clouds rolled in and obscured the moon, the lunacy ended. Mils Muliaina crossed after a Sitiveni Sivivatu flip pass that signalled, finally, that normal service had resumed.

Until that point, Southland had been the more disciplined side. They were denied twice in quick succession by the video ref and could feel aggrieved at going into the break 10-0 down, with second-five Jason Kawau proving the pick of the players.

In the second half, on the back of a lop-sided penalty count, it was all Waikato.

The good folk of Waikato clearly believed the match was a foregone conclusion. The 25,000-seat stadium was barely one-third full.

The thinking could only have been that their money will be better spent next weekend.

Waikato played with a similar attitude early on; throw it around a bit and have some fun before we knuckle down for the serious stuff. Passes that were meant for the highlights clips found only grass.

They were falling off tackles and, to their amazement, Southland had not turned up solely to provide a maroon backdrop for their dashing exploits.

Perhaps they should have recognised the portents were not good when they lost skipper Jono Gibbes on the morning of the match.

After training the house down during the week, Gibbes woke up yesterday unable to extract himself from bed. That meant Toby Lynn came into the starting line-up and Marty Holah took over the captaincy.

Nothing too alarming about that scenario - Waikato have strength in depth - but surely Waikato wouldn't have been so complacent with Gibbes marshalling the troops.

They knew they could run Southland off their feet but in deference to that rugby truism, it can't be done without first laying a solid platform.

Warren Gatland would have reminded his troops of that at halftime. They paid heed, with exotically named prop Aled de Malmanche crashing over from a lineout drive.

After a raft of changes, Sosene Anesi timed his entry into the backline perfectly to extend the lead to 24-0.

James Wilson, a Southland replacement for first five-eighth Blair Stewart scored a slick double - his first try left Steven Bates looking like he was wearing lead boots - but any thoughts of a comeback were fanciful.

It would have left Gatland pondering how his players made such hard work of a game they should have won by 40. Have they made their run for the Air New Zealand Cup too early?

But there's been a vibrancy about Waikato that was missing last year.

Last night, they started with six players who were 23 or younger: Lynn, de Malmanche, Stephen Donald, Richard Kahui, Brendon Leonard and Liam Messam. None will mark last night's performances as a high point but it is a frightening array of talent.

So Waikato look like hosting Wellington next weekend in a repeat of the 2003 semifinal, unless Otago spring a surprise against North Harbour. Waikato fans who remember that baffling night will be hoping referee Gary Wise is nowhere in the vicinity.

Waikato 24 (M. Muliaina, A. de Malmanche, S. Anesi tries; D. Hill pen, 3 cons)
Southland 12 (J. Wilson 2 tries; Wilson con).
HT: 10-0.