Canterbury the floggers nigh on unbeatable

By WYNNE GRAY

Canterbury 53 Auckland 22

For the second time this NPC season, Canterbury flogged traditional rivals Auckland.

The margin was even greater this time - 31 points, compared with the 28 points (38-10) in the Ranfurly Shield match a fortnight before - and the manner of the latest victory might have been even more emphatic.

In their Ranfurly Shield challenge, Auckland tried a conservative approach, but on Saturday in Christchurch they went for attacking adventure to try to unhinge Canterbury.

Both concepts received similar significant rebukes.

Auckland were at the same ground but not in the same league as Canterbury built their victory on a bludgeoning front five, lineout and loose-forward dominance, a confident, precise backline, and an attitude of endeavour.

It has been 11 years since a side defended and retained the Ranfurly Shield for an entire season and also won the first-division NPC crown, and Canterbury must be favoured to emulate that feat when they meet Otago on Saturday in the final.

Canterbury's repeat win against the old enemy suggests they have profited from superb recruiting and being able to send out an NPC side who are almost the Crusaders in a changed strip.

Out of the starting XV, only promising wing Joe Maddock did not spend time with the Super 12 squad this season.

Auckland began with four players who were not involved in Super 12 and a number who were bit-part players in much of that campaign.

For whatever reason, Auckland ran out with four different players from the original team announcement and several positional rearrangements.

They also gambled with the frenetic, frothy football which nearly brought Wellington an upset win against the red-and-blacks.

The intention was intriguing. The match was played with high speed and expression, mistakes were more and varied, and the result stayed the same.

Anything Auckland could do, Canterbury could do better.

They settled better, with three Andrew Mehrtens' penalties to one from Carlos Spencer before they began the seven-tries-to-three execution.

The opening try revealed the success of the present Canterbury rugby story.

Leon MacDonald countered through the middle of the park, laid the ball off for props Greg Feek and Greg Somerville to show their passing skills and then release the newly coiffured Nathan Mauger to the line.

Backs and forwards combined sweetly for most of the afternoon, confidence oozed through the side. They had come to enjoy their work

Caleb Ralph had the first of his two tries before the break, the mightily talented flanker Richard McCaw and Maddock were in not long after the interval, and Canterbury had a 36-3 break on their visitors.

Auckland did gain some reward for their enterprise, with Doug Howlett running in from a Canterbury mistake, Steve Devine scoring from a fine solo and Iliesa Tanivula making it to the line.

They had vigorous allies in Keven Mealamu and the nimble Orene Ai'i, but their one-out brilliance could not compete with the concerted Canterbury crescendo.

Their defence was brutally strong, their attack crisp and pointed. From the youth of McCaw through the seasoned skill of departing skipper Todd Blackadder to the senior substitute, Con Barrell, Canterbury are a cut above the rest.

That does not mention the coaching acumen of Steve Hansen or his warning about the NPC final.

Canterbury, he felt, were well prepared for that shootout because of their diet of Ranfurly Shield matches and Saturday's semifinal.

"That should have conditioned us for what's ahead," Hansen said.

That caution will not surprise anyone who has seen the relentless path of destruction Canterbury have wrought this season.