TIGER FOR PUNISHMENT: Loose forward Matt Matich provided much needed go-forward and leg drive during a disappointing Mitre 10 Cup campaign for Northland. Photo/John Stone
TIGER FOR PUNISHMENT: Loose forward Matt Matich provided much needed go-forward and leg drive during a disappointing Mitre 10 Cup campaign for Northland. Photo/John Stone
Execution. It's the difference between a contender and a pretender.
Unfortunately for the Taniwha faithful, Northland were ultimately the latter.
The good news for Northland fans was that the Taniwha showed they were a team capable of multiple wins in the Mitre 10 Cup. The bad news? They ended upwith only one.
Northland found themselves at the foot of the ladder despite a roster that showed a fair bit of promise. They broke a winless streak that extended back to 2014, but that was as good as it got for them.
For the most part, they were their own worst enemy. They lost multiple games they should have won and were unable to consistently capitalise on attacking opportunities.
Northland were able to retain possession well, accounting for the second-most carries in the competition behind Wellington.
The outside backs gave Northland a variety of attacking weapons while their loose forward group was possibly the strongest in the Mitre 10 Cup. They also had the ability to offload the ball, ranking third overall.
Northland also had no problems scoring points, averaging 28 per game. With their offloading and attacking nous, they definitely scored enough points to win games.
Where they struggled
Set piece was a major issue for coach Richie Harris' troops. Despite showing signs of improvement as the season progressed, Northland ranked dead last in scrum success (85 per cent) and lineout success (81.7 per cent), nullifying many attacking opportunities.
On countless occasions, they had the chance to pile on points due to good ball retention, but they were unable to consistently execute game plans.
Defensive lapses didn't help their cause either. In their matches against Manawatu, Otago, Wellington and Southland, Northland went missing defensively for 10-15 minutes. They lost these games by a combined 27 points. If these mishaps didn't occur, they probably would have won those games.
Casualty ward
Losing Highlanders loose forward Dan Pryor after just 25 minutes of action to a major ACL injury was a cruel blow to Northland's hopes. But on top of Pryor being a non-factor, the Taniwha had important players missing multiple games.
Captain Matt Moulds and senior lock Josh Goodhue missed four matches each, while Sam Nock (three), Kara Pryor, Peter Breen and Jone Macilai (all two) also missed significant game time.
Standout players
OUT OF THE BLUE: Solomon Alaimalo was a shining light for Northland in his rookie Mitre 10 Cup campaign. Photo/John Stone
Despite winning once all season, Northland had a few guys who consistently churned out quality performances.
Loose forwards Matt Matich and Kara Pryor provided impetus in the pack. Matich showed his toughness and considerable leg drive to gain valuable metres in the loose. Pryor played with immense pride and passion, showing a variety of skills and some enterprising ball play.
Peter Breen took more control as the season wore on and, by the end of the campaign, was one of the premier first fives in the competition. When he took the line on, the seventh-ranked offloader in the competition made Northland a more varied attacking prospect.
But the player of the season was rookie fullback Solomon Alaimalo. In his first taste of provincial rugby, Alaimalo played with maturity and freedom. He led the side in metres (530), ranked highly in offloads and was a constant threat with ball in hand. Surely a 2017 Super Rugby contract is waiting for him.
Looking to 2017
It's always tough to gauge where a team will be in a year's time in provincial rugby.
However, if Northland maintain their core from this year and add a ball-running second five, there is no reason they couldn't make the semi finals.
Despite a marked development since the farce that was the 2015 season, Northland left a lot to be desired on the park.
The 29-21 loss to Wellington summed up their season perfectly. They were right in the contest for the first 40 minutes, but a 15-minute lull put them in a hole that a strong finish couldn't get them out of.
The coaching staff has some work to do with this side, but there's no reason they can't turn tight losses into 2017 wins.
But their preparations need to revolve around one word - execution.
