Waikato a bit shaky, quite stirring

Waikato 30 Taranaki 6

For a time last night, Warren Gatland's return to Moolooland looked like ending in a night to forget.

Taranaki had the better of the opening half hour and for a time looked a good bet to bag a third straight NPC win in Hamilton.

But Waikato, like a stumbling actor finally remembering his lines, picked themselves up and once they had scored their first try moments before halftime, had the match in hand.

By the end they had run in three tries, David Hill backed that up with a faultless goalkicking display, six from six, and Gatland, one of the province's favourite sons from a memorable era of the late 1980s and early 90s, had the win he sought to kickstart Waikato's title campaign.

Taranaki will have spent the trip home pondering how it all went wrong after an encouraging start.

Their lineout - particularly captain Paul Tito and fellow lock Jason Eaton - was impressive, including a handful of takes off the Waikato throw, they nabbed several turnovers and created scoring chances but couldn't capitalise.

It was not until the latter stages of the first half that the game had some life to it.

The opening quarter was what you'd expect in a competition opener.

There was plenty of effort but a shortage of cool-headed thinking.

Much of the early kicking was aimless but Taranaki's ascendancy grew as the half wore on.

Waikato seemed dithery at times, and for all their accumulated industry, usually inspired by halfback Isaac Boss, there appeared confusion over which direction they were heading.

Fullback Sosene Anesi got in one sharp run down the left but there was precious little else for the fans to enthuse over before the final minutes of the half.

Taranaki led 6-3 after a swapping of penalties between Todd Feather and David Hill and should have had a try after 26 minutes.

However neither Lifeimi Mafi nor Scott Ireland could crack the Waikato defensive wall close to their line.

Then Waikato stirred as halftime approached.

First five-eighth Stephen Donald slid past three tacklers and from the ensuing ruck, flanker Dave Faville, on his Waikato NPC debut, should have scored in the left corner.

However he lost his grip on the ball in the tackle as he dived over the line.

But Waikato did get the only try moments later.

No 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, with the halftime hooter having sounded, ran off a scrum near the Taranaki line.

Donald, among the best of the Waikato side, expertly ripped the ball free from the big Fijian's hands, the lively Boss grabbed it before wing Richard Kahui got it out to Mark Ranby who charged across.

Just as the numbers and the flow of play favoured the visitors in the first half, the second half ran Waikato's way, only more decisively.

Hill made it 13-6 with a second penalty before Boss sliced through the defence from a lineout and did it again from the ensuing ruck to score a fine try.

Waikato's final try, after a couple of scuffles between the packs and a rare Taranaki attack, was the best of the game.

From a clean lineout delivery by lock Toby Lynn, Donald and Hill put Ranby through a gap and Kahui ran the final 40m for an excellent team try.

Boss, Ranby and Hill were all strong contributors while the Waikato pack made sure Taranaki's traditional forward muscle didn't become a telling factor in the match.

As for Taranaki, fullback James Hilgendorf, Mafi, Tito and Eaton worked hard.

But Kieran Crowley's team are some way off what is required if they're to have a decent crack at the semifinals in October.

Waikato: M. Ranby, I. Boss, R. Kahui tries; D. Hill 3 pen, 3 con

Taranaki: T. Feather 2 pen. Halftime: 10-6