Taniwha trio in top nick

All three of Northland's Blues players scored tries in their 41-17 victory over the Hurricanes ensuring plenty of local interest in the team's next home game against the Cheetahs at Toll Stadium in two weeks' time.
Rene Ranger scored the opening try of the game at Eden Park on Saturday, while replacement Lachie Munro scored the vital third try that finally separated the two duelling teams and Jared Payne's final try two minutes from time put the icing on the cake in the five-try to one victory.
Possession was the key to winning the match for Payne, the Taniwha skipper, who has quickly added a new dimension to the Blues backline in his first season for the team.
"Through the first 20, we kept hold of the ball and stretched them a bit and then in the last 20 of the first half they turned it around and did the same to us. And again at the start of the second half, and then we held on to it in the last 20 and scored a few points - whoever had the ball was playing the best last night," he said yesterday.
Payne, up against All Black Conrad Smith at centre, out-performed his opposite for most of the match but modestly said he had only an average game.
"I felt I did okay, although there were a few things that didn't go too good but, as a whole, the team played good which was a positive thing. It's always good to get a win against a good team like the Hurricanes," he said.
Despite the classy performance, he didn't think a call from All Blacks coach Graham Henry was imminent.
"I'm more focused about playing well for the Blues, to be honest I can't see too many opportunities opening up for the All Blacks, they've got a lot of very good players and settled players so I'm not holding my breath at all."
Rene Ranger had another good game to elevate his own All Black hopes, while Lachie Munro showed promising form coming on as a second-half replacement.
Payne is looking forward to returning north with the squad to prepare for another tough match against the Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend and the Cheetahs the following weekend at Whangarei.
"It'll be good to get back home and play on Toll Stadium, so that'll be a pretty cool occasion and, hopefully, plenty of fans up there will get behind it and pack out the stadium," he said.
He said all the Northland boys "getting a dot" was a great advertisement for the game in the province, hosting its first Super Rugby game for several years.