Mitre 10 Cup Plays of the Week - Round Four
Round Four of the Mitre 10 Cup was full of close encounters and exciting results, with two games decided by less than a try, two undefeated teams meeting at the top of the table and the Ranfurly Shield changing hands.
Here are a few of the highlights from the provincial action.
Patrick Tuipulotu’s Hat-Trick vs Tasman
Auckland lock Patrick Tuipulotu made a statement on his return to rugby.
In his first appearance since May, Tuipulotu put in an impressive 65-minute shift in the blue and white hoops, picking up a stunning hat-trick against the undefeated Tasman Mako.
The towering lock first crashed over from short range in the 27th minute, then scored his second just four minutes later after scooping up a Harry Plummer cross-field kick, shrugging off a pair of would-be defenders and cruising 45 metres to cross under the posts. The 25-year-old rounded off his performance by busting over again from close range to score a third try right before teams went to the sheds.
After All Black Brodie Retallick injured his shoulder against Argentina the next night, Tuipulotu was recalled into the national side.
Etene Nanai-Seturo’s Electric Feet
Sevens star Etene Nanai-Seturo made his first appearance for Counties Manukau on Sunday and he did not disappoint.
The impressive 19-year-old left Southland prop Chris Apoua grasping at air with a wicked left-footed step.
Commentator Ian Jones likened the step to that of former All Black Glen Osborne as Counties ran out winners 43-26.
Brad Weber Starts And Finishes Bay Stunner
Chiefs halfback Brad Weber was instrumental in Hawkes Bay’s one-point home victory over Bay of Plenty, a battle to earn the title of ‘the real Bay’.
Weber led a second-half charge as he picked up two tries in two minutes.
First crossing the line after an 8-9 from the back of a scrum and scampering 15 metres for a score, Weber struck once again when he put up a booming box kick for Jonah Lowe to chase.
Right winger Lowe regathered the ball and raced down the sideline, finding Weber in support to grab a brace.
Quick Hands Put Asafo Away
Barnstorming hooker Asafo Aumua is back to his best form with Wellington, finishing off a great team try in his side’s Round Four battle with North Harbour.
Quick hands from a mixture of forwards and backs saw the ball spread out to right wing and Hurricanes star Ben Lam. Lam dished to Aumua who had Shaun Stevenson to beat, and beat him he did as the All Black hooker trampled over the Harbour fullback to score.
Harbour Level The Score
Not to be outdone by Aumua’s efforts, the North Harbour backs linked to create one of the better tries this season.
Off a lineout just inside their own half, five-eighth Bryn Gatland dropped a perfect chip in for the aforementioned Stevenson to recover. The rangy fullback did so, spotted some space and toed a ball ahead for his winger Matt Duffie, who raced to the ball and planted it with little margin for error.
Ware Leaves Smith For Dead
While Taranaki had to hand over the Ranfurly Shield following their defeat against Waikato, one member of the home side still had something to smile about.
All Blacks Sevens star and former Waikato winger Regan Ware exacted some revenge on his former team, slicing through the defence for a spectacular score.
The Hamilton Boys’ High School product took advantage of some over-committed defenders and burst into a hole. Still with plenty of work to do, the 24-year-old hit Waikato five-eighth Fletcher Smith with a devastating in-out, leaving the defender clueless and with a pair of broken ankles.
MITRE 10 CUP RESULTS – ROUND FOUR
September 5
Waikato 43-31 Wellington
September 6
Canterbury 34-23 Manawatu
September 7
Otago 27-23 Northland
Auckland 36-10 Tasman
September 8
Southland 26-43 Counties Manukau
Hawke’s Bay 29-28 Bay of Plenty
September 9
Wellington 35-23 North Harbour
Taranaki 19-33 Waikato
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments