WaiCoa-Bay Stallions player Raureti Grace runs the ball against Canterbury on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner
WaiCoa-Bay Stallions player Raureti Grace runs the ball against Canterbury on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner
The WaiCoa-Bay Stallions team that turned up to play Canterbury Bulls at Tauranga Domain on Saturday was vastly different to the outfit that beat Counties Manukau Stingrays 18-8 on the opening weekend of the NZRL National Premiership a week earlier.
The Stallions went down to Canterbury 28-20 in the secondround of the national competition. The tone was set as early as the first play when Hayden Karena (Hamilton City Tigers) failed to collect the Bulls' kick off. From the resulting field position, second row James Baxendale crashed on to a pass to go over for the first points of the game. It was a pattern that was to be repeated twice in the first half - a Stallions mistake followed by a Bulls try, but not before the Stallions had restored parity.
A Nick Read (Hamilton City Tigers) break had seen fullback Malcolme Noda (Taniwharau) pulled down, but Jeremy Suilepa (Pacific Sharks) went over on the next play.
But defensive errors under the high ball and lost balls from low percentage plays saw Erwin Sauni poach two tries to take the Bulls to a commanding 18-6 lead as halftime approached.
The promise of a fightback with a try to Noda from a long cut out pass by Victor Karora-Reu (Pacific Sharks) was quickly nullified as Sauni pounced on a loose ball.
Head coach Tony Lajpold said the error rate was talked about at halftime when the home side trialled 24-10. Despite continuing to make unforced errors, the Stallions shored up their defence, holding opposition players up over the line on several occasions, with the only Bulls try coming from Nathan Saumalu.
At 28-10, the Stallions finished the game the stronger with Otumoetai Eels' centre Josh Tupou going over after an offload by Queensland Under-18 rep Keanu Dawson (Ngaruawahia Panthers) and a flick on from Karena. Tupou was in the action again moments later, making a break down the right wing to feed Noda on the inside who ran in to finish the try scoring, Karena converting to make it 28-20.
