Rob Thompson and Mitchell Drummond celebrate the midfielder's stunning opening try. Photo / Getty
Rob Thompson and Mitchell Drummond celebrate the midfielder's stunning opening try. Photo / Getty
Canterbury 29 Hawke's Bay 14
Canterbury seared into Hawke's Bay with a brand of rugby other teams will struggle to match for accuracy and abrasiveness across the ITM Cup.
The win consolidated Canterbury in second spot on the premiership table with 24 points and an unbeaten record after five games. Theyremain a point behind Tasman. Hawke's Bay looked relatively untroubled until this match. The result left them on 20 points, still atop the championship table.
The hosts demonstrated comprehensive dominance establishing a 22-0 lead before the visitors weaved three late forays into Canterbury territory from the 34th minute of the first half.
Hawke's Bay will struggle to retain the Ranfurly Shield if this match was a gauge. They have further defences against Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Waikato.
The foreshadowing for the defeat came within the first two minutes when Canterbury second five-eighths Rob Thompson hit a flat ball from Richie Mo'unga and glided through the defence like scissors through polythene.
Hawke's Bay looked restricted in two further tries when Mo'unga stabbed through a grubber for an unmarked Tulolo Tulolo and a stealthy Matt Todd slipped around the blindside of a maul and was met by an invisible audience.
Canterbury controlled all facets for the majority of the game but suffered a blip in the third quarter by conceding five penalties. A scrum featuring three All Blacks - Joe Moody, Nepo Laulala and Dominic Bird - in the tight five and two more in the eight - Matt Todd and Luke Whitelock - scrunched into their opposites and dominated the lineout while the backs constantly forced Hawke's Bay behind the advantage line.
The consequence was a handling error epidemic and little room for players of the ilk of Israel Dagg and Ihaia West to prosper on the counterattack. In accounting parlance, their metres advantage ran at a net loss. When opportunities emerged they were often butchered. Magpies' loosehead prop Brendon Edmonds put together a solid display, despite his side struggling for traction.
The second half started better for the visitors with Shannan Chase finishing off a break from Ryan Tongia which enabled Hawke's Bay to open the scoring but Canterbury held their nerve to keep the Bay at bay. Robbie Fruean, familiar to the territory as an incumbent Crusader, scored a late try as he took the next step in his return from injury.
