Rugby: North Harbour keeps semi-final hopes alive

4:45 PM

North Harbour has raced into NPC semifinal contention, thumping the favoured Wellington side 24-7 at Albany today.

The northerners dominated possession to score four tries to one and pick up maximum NPC points.

A slow first half was punctuated with missed penalties from both sides. Harbour went to the break ahead seven nil, courtesy of a Walter Little try.

However a try to winger Harbour winger Karl Te Nana twenty minutes into the second half brought the match to life. Blair Urlich and captain Troy Flavell crossed the line to add to Harbour's total.

Wellington, boasting star players Jonah Lomu, Tana Umaga and Christian Cullen, offered no reply until a minute before the final whistle, when loose forward Rodney So'oialo scored a consolation try to avoid the whitewash.

In today's other division one match Canterbury hammered Southland 71-8 at Jade Stadium. The red and blacks piled on the points in the second half after leading 26-8 at halftime.

- HERALD ONLINE STAFF