Rugby: Scramble for NPC playoffs

By WYNNE GRAY

Six into two does not go.

The penultimate round of the NPC at the weekend brought a concertina crush of teams chasing Canterbury and Auckland for semifinal spots.

Once the slush, rain and wind disappeared and the tallies were totalled, only Counties Manukau and Southland cannot challenge for the final four this weekend.

The greatest beneficiaries of the latest round were Taranaki, Northland and Wellington as their opponents and competitors went astray.

For the third successive week Waikato stumbled and, more than ever, their loss against Counties which started the rot looks as though it will sting the Mooloo men.

Their final pool game, against Wellington, is a key to others' aspirations.

Auckland beat Waikato 24-13 in a muscular wrestle on Saturday which buried Rugby Park's existence and may have done likewise to the locals' NPC hopes for the new millennium.

However, it could be that a solitary point from their final away game, against Wellington, will be enough to make the semifinals, as long as Northland, North Harbour, Otago and Taranaki stagger.

With a points differential in their favour, enigmatic Wellington should qualify with a bonus point or more, a result which should put them up against Auckland in the semis.

Jonah Lomu and Tana Umaga got Wellington home 28-21 against Southland after they trailed 7-11 playing into a strong, first-half breeze.

Auckland and Canterbury are playing tough rugby.

They have been beaten only once this season, they both play the percentages well, and they are the best-drilled sides in the competition.

Canterbury have more pizazz and needed it to repel Otago 29-26 and inflict another chapter of agony for the southerners as they dig through the 43 years it has been since they last held the Ranfurly Shield.

From the 26th minutes to the 76th minute Otago had the lead as they built on some individual brilliance of South African fullback Justin Swart, the drive of Byron Kelleher, Taine Randell and Josh Kronfeld, and the muscular menace of Anton Oliver.

But Canterbury never looked out of the game.

They seemed as composed as they had been in the Super 12. They worked overtime with Reuben Thorne, Todd Blackadder, Scott Robertson and Justin Marshall, as Andrew Mehrtens worked the angles. His half break gave Caleb Ralph enough room for the clincher, while Ben Blair banged over pressure goals and Marika Vunibaka scored tries no one else could.

Waikato became another side to feel defeat against Auckland and wonder how it happened.

Neither team have expansive ploys, using their powerful packs to grind away and then look for the counter-attacking hits.

But it was Auckland who got the quick ruck ball needed to open up space, while their jumpers consistently robbed Waikato of second-half lineouts.

Waikato could not build on their fortuitous try in the opening minute and had to concede an 8-14 deficit at the break, even though they controlled most of the opening spell.

Robin Brooke was a dominant figure again and crossed for the winning try once Auckland made several rapid switches in attack to outmanouevre the defence.

With a chance of moving into outright fourth yesterday, Harbour got a basic rugby lesson from Taranaki at New Plymouth, losing 3-13.

The visitors only had three points from their stint with the wind and Taranaki replied with a Neil Brew try from a Harbour mistake and three goals from the reliable Daryl Lilley.

Harbour may have the easiest opposition next week - Southland - but they need a big win and some remarkable other results to reach the semifinals.

That miracle is unlikely to coincide with Walter Little's 146th game for Harbour, which will break Ron Williams' record number of appearances for the union.