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         The New Zealand National Provincial Championship

             This article features short reports news,
              and results in the NPC in New Zealand.
                 Weekend of 8th-9th October 1994
                     NPC Semi-Finals Weekend
                            --====--


HEADLINES
~~~~~~~~~
After initially holding their own, Canterbury went down 27-59 to North
Harbour who were simply too inventive and too fast.

In a thrilling match that Otago were winning until fifteen minutes from
the end, Auckland took the final honours by 33-16.

Hawkes Bay crushed Bay of Plenty 65-18 in a powerhouse display which 
showed why they didn't lose a single match in the round-robin. They
are strong favourites to win the second division final next week.

Southland upset predictions when they beat Northland by 29-22 at
Whangarei on Saturday, gaining them a place in the 2nd division
final against Hawkes Bay.

Mid-Canterbury upset favourites Wanganui by beating them 22-13 in a
committed performance which gained them a 3rd division final spot.

Poverty Bay avenged a thumping by Thames Valley early on in the NPC
when they beat Valley 40-20 to meet Mid-Canterbury next week.


_____________________________________________________________________
###   FIRST DIVISION SEMI-FINALS   ##################################
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_____________________________________________________________________
NORTH HARBOUR 59  CANTERBURY 27                      Half-time:  21-0

Harbour          tries  G Osbourne(2), W Little, F Bunce, M Weedon,
                        W Burton L Barry
                 kicks  W Burton(6 conv, 4 pen)

Canterbury       tries  M Mayerhofler, S Forrest, D Gibson, C England
                 kicks  A Mehrtens(2 conv, 1 pen)

Although Canterbury came out and played with a fiery determination
in the first half-hour of their semi-final with Harbour, they
were most certainly a bit flat after their Ranfurly Shield defence
last week against Otago, and this took a toll on their creativity.

Having said that, North Harbour would probably not have been
denied the win at their home ground anyway. Their razzle-dazzle
attack blitzed Canterbury and produced seven tries, most of which
were created by the dash and flair of two of New Zealand's most
exciting attacking backs, fullback Glen Osbourne and second five-
eighth Walter Little.

Also outstanding was Harbour first-five eighth Warren Burton who
outplayed Canterbury's Andrew Mehrtens, showing that the talented
Mehrtens definitely needs a couple more seasons in the NPC before
being tried in the All Blacks.

Although Canterbury provided a competetive game, they gave away a
good many penalties early on, putting them under pressure as the
points mounted up. Burton kicked 4 of his 5 attempts whilst Mehrtens
missed with 4 long-range efforts. Together with Little and Osbourne
scoring tries in the last five minutes before half-time, the match
was as good as over then.

Harbour wingers Eric Rush and Peter Woods showed some fine attacking
running, and Frank Bunce also played well. Their captain Richard
Turner was inspirational as always, making a superb bone-crunching
tackle on Canterbury centre Tabai Matson when a try looked on.

Canterbury's effectiveness at the set peices was nullified, with
Richard Loe being anonymous for most of the game, after an early
skirmish with Harbour's Ron Williams.

In the second half, Canterbury managed 4 tries, and there was some
very powerful running by Matson, but they never really looked in
the game.


_____________________________________________________________________
OTAGO 16  AUCKLAND 33                                Half-time:  13-7

Otago            tries  J Wilson, J Timu
                 kicks  Wilson(1 pen), A Bell(1 pen)

Auckland         tries  W Sotutu(2), M Carter, J Ngauamo, S Howarth
                 kicks  Howarth(4 conv)


Auckland produced a punishing last fifteen minute burst to brush
Otago aside and make the final, although the score was inflated
due to Otago throwing caution to the winds, and trying to run the
ball from everywhere in the last 5 minutes.

Otago dominated most of the game and were leading by 16-7 with only
14 minutes to go. Up until then the match had been one of Otago
outplaying the Aucklanders, who made a great many handling errors
under pressure from the Blue and Golds.

Early on in the match, Otago produced two of the best tries I have
yet seen on a rugby field, the first by Jeff Wilson, and the second
by John Timu. Wilson's was an individual effort of such brilliance
and speed that it took the breath away. Taking the ball out from the
Auckland 22 and with 2-3 men in front and nothing apparently on,
he raced forward and chipped the ball down the wing. His chase,
viewed on camera across the field was of such a speed he seemed to
be travelling at twice the pace of the Auckland defenders. In what
is fast becoming his trademark he dived full length onto the ball
in the in-goal to score - no words do it justice!

JT's try was an almost equal act of genius. Again with 2-3 men in
good defensive position, he jinked this way and that, turning
the last defender inside out before zipping around on the outside
and diving over - brilliant.

Auckland also scored an excellent try, although pale by comparison
with Otago's, through Waisake Sotutu after some powerhouse driving
play by the forwards.

Otago had excellent control of the second phase ball, and actually
caused Auckland to turn it over in a ruck situation several times.
Things were not going Auckland's way deep in the second half, they
would play poerfully and set up a chance only to throw it away
with a mistake or infringement. Otago were handicapped by some very
indifferent kicking from Wilson and later (due to a Wilson injury
which saw him hobbling for most of the second half) Adre Bell. But
for this, they might have pulled the win off.

In the final quarter, Auckland eventually managed to put it together
and score. A Storming run by prop Kevin Nepia setting the way for
Ngauamo's try, and Lee Stensness dominated more and more in the
midfield, coming back to something like his old form.

In the end Auckland won more due to the power of their side rather 
than the creative aspects of the modern game, but they probably 
deserved it, on balance.

The final of Auckland against North Harbour at Takapuna is a
mouth-watering prospect. It will be extremely interesting to see
these different types of team trying their utmost to win - on the
one hand the more 'traditional' Auckland side with the power-play
forwards, and on the other, the unpredictable 'we can attack from
anywhere' 7's style of rugby practiced by North Harbour.


_____________________________________________________________________
###   SECOND DIVISION SEMI-FINALS   #################################
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_____________________________________________________________________
HAWKES BAY 65  BAY OF PLENTY 18                      Half-time: 16-15

Hawkes Bay       tries  J Bradbrook(2), G Falcon(2), A Hamilton,
                        M Paewai, C Gibbes, O Crawford, M Bird
                 kicks  J Cunningham(7 conv, 2 pen)

Bay of Plenty    tries  *none*
                 kicks  E Cossey(6 pen)


Hawkes Bay needed a try on half-time to take the lead 16-15 after
playing the first half into a steady northerly wind. That was the
warning of the avalanche to come.

Seven tries were scored in the second half, all converted by Jarrod
Cunningham, and a total of 49 points all in 40 minutes. BOP, with
the wind advantage made no attempt to use their backs in the first
40. They kicked for position, and wasted their best possession. They
kicked five penalties but this was not enough.

The Bay moved the ball wide in the second half and provided some
superb attacking movements. First-five eighth Murdoch Paewai was
a vital pivot, and directed play. Flanker Dustin Watts was always
aroound to keep play alive, while Falcon and Norm Hewitt began
to appear more and more in the open space created by the backs.

Openside flanker Jeff Karika, playing in place of Hawke's Bay's
injured Dallas Seymour won every 50-50 ball going. At halfback
former Wellingtonian John Bradbrook was named man of the match and
fed the Bay backs superbly, scoring two tries as well.

_____________________________________________________________________
NORTHLAND 22  SOUTHLAND 29                           Half-time:   5-6

Northland        tries  N Berryman, D Manako, G Taylor
                 kicks  W Johnston(2 conv, 1 pen)

Southland        tries  P Johnston, D Heaps, D Henderson
                 kicks  S Culhane(1 conv, 3 pen, 1 drop)

With a strong sustained and sensible display Southland upset most
predictions and beat Northland to gain the second division final.

They had to absorb unrelenting pressure during the first minutes,
and then hit back under the fine leadership of flanker David
Henderson. In the end however a succession of Northland blunders
which Southland turned to their profit were what made the difference.

The Southland forwards with lock Mark Tinnock, hooker David Heaps,
No 8 Stu Harvey, and the Henderson twins Paul and David prominent,
fought back strongly after being on the back foot during the first
quarter.

Northland appeared to become frustrated and then desperate after
having nothing to show for complete territorial domination during
the first 20 minutes.

Each side scored 3 tries, but Southland's Simon Culhane's kicking
gave them the edge.


_____________________________________________________________________
###   THIRD DIVISION SEMI-FINALS   ##################################
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_____________________________________________________________________
POVERTY BAY 40  THAMES VALLEY 20                     Half-time: 25-10

Poverty Bay      tries  E Katalau, A Rangihuna, J Kerr, A Brown,
                        M Ngarimu
                 kicks  A Rangihuna(2 conv, 2 pen)
                        E Robinson(1 conv)
                        F Walker(1 drop)

Thames Valley    tries  F Teague, G McLiver, B Foote
                 kicks  M Handley(1 conv, 1 pen)

The Bay supporters have been saying all along that they have the best
backline in the third division, and they were proved right when they
took the main honours in this match scoring 27 of the 40 points.

All Black selector Ross Cooper, who watched the game commented: "The
big Fijian lock Emori Katalau dominated the ball and that was the
ball game". "Api Rangihuna also directed operations well with his
boot and really Poverty Bay deserved to win".

Thames Valley had the better start but were rocked when the Bay raced
out to a 13-0 lead through a Katalau try converted by Rangihuna, and
two Rangihuna penalties.

Valley hit back and scored two tries in 3 minutes, but the Bay came
back again to lead 25-10 at half-time through a Rangihuna try which
he converted and a James Kerr try. Continuing to attack in the second
half, the Bay added two further tries to Brown and Mutu Ngarimu.
Second five-eighth Frank Walker capped a solid game with an excellent
dropped goal on fulltime. New Zealand colt Blair Foote scored a
consolation try and Handley added the conversion.


_____________________________________________________________________
WANGANUI 13  MID-CANTERBURY 22                       Half-time:  3-13

Wanganui         tries  N Bell
                 kicks  G Lennox(1 conv, 2 pen)

Mid-Canterbury   tries  P Topham
                 kicks  S Middleton(1 conv, 5 pen)


Mid-Canterbury displayed authority and control to upset Wanganui's
National third division final hopes.

Wanganui had gone through the round-robin stage unbeaten, including
a 24-19 away victory over Mid-Canterbury which scraped into the
semis as fourth qualifier.

But a dedicated forward effort, accurate goal-kicking from 19-year-old
Steve Middleton and a good general's game by veteran first-five eighth
Geoff Frew were Mid-Canterbury's trump cards in the surprise win.

At half-time Wanganui were down 3-13, but they closed to within
striking distance 13-19 with 12 minutes remaining. In the end
Middleton completed the scoring with his fifth penalty.

Mid-Canterbury now host Poverty Bay for the final.


_____________________________________________________________________
NEXT WEEK
~~~~~~~~~
                      ***  NZ NPC FINALS  ***


SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second Division:    Southland       vs  Hawkes Bay   at  Invercargill
Third Division:     Mid-Canterbury  vs  Poverty Bay  at  Ashburton


SUNDAY 16TH OCTOBER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Division:     North Harbour   vs  Auckland     at Takapuna

I will try to post the teams for these matches as they come to
hand later on in the week.

Cheers.
Paul.
-- 
____________________________________________________________________________
Paul Waite                                         doc@docdevl.actrix.gen.nz
Wellington, New Zealand                                       +64-4-233-1764
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