Taniwha back to school to learn from Friday's mistakes

With Northland Rugby Union relying on the Taniwha to lift its chances of avoiding the NPC drop with a big showing on the field this season, Friday night's 10-3 win over an error-ridden Counties Manukau side in their final pre-season match was hardly the ideal warm-up. Advocate sports reporter Peter Thorley explains why  the experience may be turned into the perfect kick-start - with just a little education.
It'll be a big week for us, we're looking to get excited and hold nothing back.- Jared PayneIt's back to school for a rugby refresher course before exams start this week for the Taniwha.
A halftime rocket and some desperate defence got them through Friday's game with an important first win together as a team.
Northland coach Bryce Woodward will be sorting the bright moments from the more problematic as they build up to this Friday's clash against the Bay of Plenty in Rotorua.
Their desire not to give away a try ranked right up there and was easily the most impressive first half fact to any stray Taniwha supporter shivering up in the stand at Growers Stadium.
Three times in the first spell, Counties Manukau were odds on to score but were halted by desperate and exceptional cover defence, particularly by Derek Carpenter, Lachie Munro and stand-in captain Jared Payne.
"Once the ball got in behind us the speed and urgency which we shut down the danger was pleasing to see," Woodward said.
The coach and his assistant Blair Larsen were less pleased with how the breaks were made. The pair spent yesterday ploughing through the video footage of the game in an effort not to judge their players on first impressions alone - and to have some statistics to base their final week of preparation for the game.
Payne said after the match that there was plenty of room for improvement in slippery conditions - similar to what they may strike in the Bay - and the side were now looking forward to their final preparation this week.
"It'll be a big week for us, we're looking to get excited and hold nothing back and, hopefully, we'll start the competition by hitting the ground running with a win."
He said a halftime rocket from Woodward helped the second half effort.
"We needed to pick up our individual skills, particularly one-on-one tackles and handling and we did in the second spell and hopefully we will learn from that," he said. The clean-out area at the ruck was an improvement on their first warm-up match against North Harbour but is still a work in progress, with Larsen pleased with the second half treatment of the ball going forward.
The lineouts were a vast improvement, with seven wins, two steals and only two lost with the throw in the first spell and the forwards' coach gave the scrums a pass mark.
A minor pectoral muscle tear will sideline Justin Davies for the opener. Karl Haitana came on the field just after halftime, leaving Bronson Murray to play the entire game, which he came through without aggravating his recent injuries.
The two starting locks, Steve Baker and Dan Goodwin, were excellent in defence and Joel McKenty added plenty of cohesion to the entire pack when he and Haitana came on in a double substitution.
Most of the Northland players had some great moments blighted by some forgettable ones. If they want to win their all-important season opener against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua on Friday night, they might do well to do some rote learning - at right are 10 acronyms for the side to memorise.