Rugby: Inaccurate kicking proves costly for Harbour teams

The absence of masterly goalkickers featured in North Harbour club rugby on Saturday, when Kumeu scored seven tries but converted only one in beating Mahurangi 37-0.

And luckless Northcote scored two tries to one but duffed five kickable shots at goal in going down 13-14 to East Coast Bays.

Trailing 3-8 after an ordinary first half, Northcote produced a burst of exquisite rugby, moving the ball far and wide.

Wing Graham Smith scored one try, and Daniel Moore, a promising young fullback from the Waikato, another.

Time was almost up and Northcote led 13-11, but specialist goalkicker Kent Currie landed a penalty in injury time for the Bays win.

Kumeu's win featured hooker Tau Lupe, the centre of a powerful pack, scoring his fifth try in two matches.

Fullback George Manu and centre Sam Alatini also scored, but while Kumeu have so far relied on forward power, there was a hint of things to come when coach Phil Ridland signalled that four top backs would join the side on Saturday.

Helensville and Glenfield notched impressive wins, beating North Shore 27-20 and Silverdale 36-23 respectively, to share the competition lead with Kumeu, one point ahead of Takapuna, who scored 10 tries in beating Navy 67-0.

Glenfield produced a new but certainly not youthful combination in Walter Little at first five-eighths, Adrian Ferris at second five-eighths and Laurence Little at centre. The trio gelled, Ferris scoring a try and two drop goals.

Match officials had no hesitation calling a delay of 40 minutes during the Massey-Marist encounter, won 20-5 by Marist, after Massey No 8 Malua Tipi was injured in a scrum.

Massey coach Bill Haronga said yesterday that Tipi had been treated in hospital for a bruised spinal cord and pulled ligaments in his neck.