NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby

Canterbury spectators as NPC climax nears

12 Oct, 2003 05:09 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Canterbury are the only Super 12 rugby fish left out of the water as the NPC first division nears a climax.

They are the sole Super-12 base province to miss a place in the semifinals and, adding insult to injury, they are now without the Ranfurly Shield as well.

Auckland launched an
eye-opening ambush on Canterbury in Christchurch yesterday, rocking the holders early before outscoring them six tries to one to win the shield challenge 40-31 at Jade Stadium.

The result propelled Auckland into the semifinals mix, with their fourth placing earning them a playoff against top qualifiers Otago in Dunedin on Saturday night.

The first semifinal, on Friday night, will take place in Hamilton where Waikato play Wellington.

Otago maintained their frontrunning status with a decisive 39-20 win over Taranaki in Dunedin today, while Waikato did enough in beating North Harbour 21-17 in Albany on Friday night to qualify for the playoffs in second place.

Wellington joined the fray with a bonus-point 31-9 victory over stragglers Northland in Whangarei yesterday.

Southland's semifinal dreams were shattered when Bay of Plenty stepped up a gear in the second half to win 53-32 in Invercargill last night.

Canterbury, shorn of the majority of their All Blacks this term, ended the season in seventh place, behind the division's big improvers Bay of Plenty and Southland.

Canterbury's shield reign ended when Auckland made light of wet and cold conditions to stun the holders in the early exchanges.

Even precision goalkicking from Canterbury first five-eighth Andrew Mehrtens couldn't deny Auckland, who are in the sort of form which could earn them a second successive NPC crown.

Mehrtens contributed 26 points in an outstanding individual performance but Auckland were clearly the superior team.

They raced out to a 21-7 lead after just 20 minutes and pocketed a bonus-point fourth try two minutes later when their advantage stood at 28-10.

Thereafter Mehrtens - at the end of a disappointing season in which he was unwanted by the All Blacks selectors and plagued by injury - kept Canterbury in touch by regularly banging over penalties.

Mehrtens kept raising the flags, his six penalties and two dropped goals hauling the home to just 31-33 behind with nine minutes remaining.

At that stage the match hung in the balance as Canterbury fought desperately to extend a shield reign that had lasted 24 matches.

They were undone in the 76th minute, though, by a scintillating burst from Auckland centre Ben Atiga, who skipped through the Canterbury defence for a try which he converted to make the game safe for the 2002 NPC champions.

Wellington shone in both defence and attack to inflict the ninth successive defeat on Northland, who now face a nervous wait for the promotion-relegation match against the second division champions on November 1.

Led by flankers Scott Waldrom and Luke Andrews, Wellington stood firm in the face of some relentless Northland attacks in the first half to take a 7-6 lead at the break.

They then romped home by scoring four tries in the second spell, three of those from turnovers inside their own 22.

Nothing separated Bay of Plenty and Southland at halftime when the score was 24-all but the visitors were much the strongly after the resumption on the way to outscoring the home side seven tries to four.

Fullback Damon Kaui crossed for a try just four minutes after the halftime break and Bay of Plenty never looked back, helped by an 18-point haul to first five-eighth Glen Jackson.

"They guys were pretty confident at halftime that we could turn it around, with a slight breeze behind us," Bay of Plenty captain Clayton McMillan said.

"We probably would have been reasonably happy with four wins (in the competition) but five really tops it off. The boys are just bubbling."

Otago were never under undue pressure at Carisbrook, leading 18-6 at halftime before outscoring Taranaki five tries to two.

Taranaki, who began the campaign widely touted as semifinals contenders, finished ninth, ahead only of Northland.

- NZPA

NPC points table

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rugby

Premium
Opinion

All Blacks player ratings: Which player scored a 9?

12 Jul 10:30 AM
All Blacks

All Blacks put France to sword as Dave Gallaher Trophy returns to New Zealand

12 Jul 09:07 AM
All Blacks

All Blacks reclaim Dave Gallaher Trophy with dominant win over France

12 Jul 08:53 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rugby

Premium
All Blacks player ratings: Which player scored a 9?

All Blacks player ratings: Which player scored a 9?

12 Jul 10:30 AM

How the All Blacks rated in their 43-17 win over France in Wellington.

All Blacks put France to sword as Dave Gallaher Trophy returns to New Zealand

All Blacks put France to sword as Dave Gallaher Trophy returns to New Zealand

12 Jul 09:07 AM
All Blacks reclaim Dave Gallaher Trophy with dominant win over France

All Blacks reclaim Dave Gallaher Trophy with dominant win over France

12 Jul 08:53 AM
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe hat-trick sees Black Ferns claim Laurie O'Reilly Cup

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe hat-trick sees Black Ferns claim Laurie O'Reilly Cup

12 Jul 06:18 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP