Taranaki beat Northland 27-12

By CHRIS RATTUE

Northland's season was not looking too flash going into tonight's match against Taranaki, and it looked decidedly worse afterwards.

Taranaki responded to their drubbing at the hands of Waikato with a solid if not spectacular win over Northland in Whangarei.

Northland have still to register an NPC point after four rounds and their disjointed effort last night did not leave much promise in store.

There were early signs of hope when their potential matchwinners, Fijian wings Fero Lasagavibau and Rupeni Caucaunibuca, got into the action. Caucaunibuca's break down the left from a lineout move produced the opportunity for Lasagavibau to score the game's first try.

Northland, though, struggled to get their wings into the game from there on and most of their steps forward were followed by a couple backwards. The scrum wobbled, the lineout was uncertain, and Taranaki's tough defence allied to an ability to make the most of opportunities proved too much for the home side.

Wing Shayne Austin's opportunist try down the left, when he chipped ahead and regathered, got Taranaki to a 7-5 lead in the 17th minute and they were never headed from there.

Lock Reece Robinson charged under the posts untouched to give Taranaki a 17-5 lead and a long-range Austin try on halftime seemed to signal the end of any Northland hopes.

Taranaki, though, will have been disappointed not to score a fourth bonus-point try in the second spell, and it was Northland who scored the only try in that period through halfback Sam Pinder.

However it never looked a hopeful comeback and Daryl Lilley's 67th-minute field goal put the issue beyond doubt.

The news doesn't get much better for Northland, who must travel to play Canterbury in the next round. Taranaki go third overnight and have the prospect of playing Bay of Plenty at home in the next round.

Taranaki 27 (S. Austin 2, R. Robinson tries; D. Lilley 3 con, pen, field goal), Northland 12 (F. Lasagavibau, S. Pinder tries; R. Finch con). Halftime: 24-5.