Northland's Shane Neville being pulled down by Waikato in their 48-27 win. Photo/Tania Whyte
Northland's Shane Neville being pulled down by Waikato in their 48-27 win. Photo/Tania Whyte
In a fresh outlook not seen since 2014, Northland will be looking for back-to-back wins when they travel to Invercargill for the 'Battle of the Lands'.
Following their commanding 48-27 win over Waikato, the Taniwha will want to pounce on a struggling Southland outfit.
Coming off a 60-21 loss toWellington and having only one win from seven starts, the Stags provide a good target for win number two.
For the first time this season, Northland have the wood on their opposition in points scored (221 to 158), points conceded (297 to 313) and points differential (-76 to -158).
Not that Southland are without their threats. First five Wharenui Hawera has been a shining light in his first season with the side after moving down from the Waikato.
They broke the line with consummate ease, and broke out of would-be tackles consistently.
They found a lot of success through running the ball, particularly that of Kara Pryor, Matt Matich, Peter Breen, Jone Macilai and Solomon Alaimalo.
Breen and Macilai, in particular, were incredibly impressive in what was their best performance of the season, highlighting their importance to the success of Northland.
The key is to now back up this performance and prove to the fans that they've turned a corner.
One thing in particular that they'd want to take from the Waikato win is their tenacity and execution in the first half.
By storming out to a 32-8 lead at the break, they gave themselves a bit of breathing room in the second half and allowed themselves to play with a little more restraint and thoughtfulness.
Big performances will be needed once again from Matich, Pryor and the rest of the pack as they look to build on their best combined effort for the season.
Northland disrupted the normally secure Waikato lineout and showed stability and strength in the scrums, led by the return of captain Matt Moulds.
