Northland simply had no answer to his chicanery. For the visitors, handling errors and poor option-taking were their Achilles heel. Conceding penalties in prime real estate contributed to their woes.
The team squandered three scoring opportunities in the Taranaki 22. Their best attacking opportunity was when the impressive Corey Evans, Jordan Trainor and Reesian Pasitoa combined down the midfield channel but couldn’t find the chalk.
They also failed to capitalise from a lineout just 5m from the Taranaki tryline. Bulls skipper Kaylum Boshier and Bradley Slater drove the maul to the ground.
Boshier and seven-test All Black Josh Lord were a menace at the lineouts while the Fijian backs of Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Vereniki Tikoimaisolomone were always eager to put the finishing touch.
Northland needed a rethink of their attack as they were unable to build enough pressure in the right areas of the field.
Serious questions needed to be asked of experienced campaigners, particularly Rivez Reihana, who struggled to balance his kick-pass-run portfolio. The mature game management and devilish playmaking he showed with the Crusaders in their title-winning run deserted him on Saturday.
The team had enough big names but little to show for. Solomon Alaimalo, who turned up in the Cambridge Blues’ colours after a seven-year hiatus, was largely absent.
More was needed from the likes of seasoned campaigners Matt Moulds and Lachlan Hooper, brother of Wallaby Tom Hooper, and the Blues’ Marcel Renata.
They needed to stand up. They kept kicking the ball away when Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens kept cutting them up with scything runs across the park.
Northland had no answers as to how to turn the territorial battle around, particularly in the second half.
The Northland coaches will have plenty to ponder before the Taniwha host the Southland Stags in Whangārei on Friday night.
