Taylor's toilers relish mudbath

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Northland 18 Counties Manukau 9

Do not talk panic or relegation to Counties Manukau coach Andrew Talaimanu despite his team's none-from-four start to the NPC.

After their two tries-to-none loss to Northland in atrocious conditions at Pukekohe Stadium, Counties Manukau have it all ahead of them, including a return to the same ground this week to play Otago.

Outplayed by a Northland side who turned on the better rugby in conditions more suited to mud wrestling, the home side failed to build on a solid start which had them 6-0 ahead inside 10 minutes through two Blair Feeney penalties.

Northland, with a James Arlidge penalty, closed to within three before Feeney booted over his third midway through the spell.

But that was Counties Manukau's lot as the Glenn Taylor-inspired Northlanders kept the ball on the ground and in front of their forwards. Winning six lineouts against the throw aided the Northland cause.

Northland had reason for special satisfaction with their try nine minutes from the break. Given the conditions, it was a classic. After winning possession on halfway on the right side of the field, the ball was spun through five sets of hands to flying Fijian winger Rupeni Caucauibuca, who charged over in the left corner.

Trailing 8-9 at the break, the visitors fought back to seal the win courtesy of a second try when giant Fijian lock Vula Maimuri scored. Arlidge's conversion gave Northland a six-point lead which he later increased to nine with a late penalty.

Danny Lee's decision to pass up a late penalty attempt might have cost the Steelers a bonus point, but Talaimanu later backed the decision to go for broke.

"We can't look at that," Talaimanu said. "I back my captain. Tactically, we are still some way shy of where we would like to be. It was difficult in terrible conditions, but really, we didn't fire up."

Talaimanu, who puts his team out for a fourth straight home game this week, hopes Otago will field a full-strength team.

"We hope their All Blacks will play. It is the ultimate to play against the All Blacks."

Just do not suggest that this is a crucial game in getting away from the threat of relegation.

Northland, too, have a home game this week but are expecting a backlash from a Waikato side keen to bounce back from their loss to Taranaki.

"Quality sides such as Waikato tend to come back from losses like that," Northland coach Bryce Woodward said. "We know that conditions up in Whangarei will be much better than we had here."

Woodward paid tribute to the manner in which his players stuck to a wet-weather game plan.

Both teams came through with nothing more than an odd niggling injury and expect to be at full strength for round five.