Mooloos recover winning rhythm

WAIKATO 33 BAY OF PLENTY 12

Waikato lifted their intensity and with it themselves up to second place with a decisive victory over Bay of Plenty at Waikato Stadium.

After two disappointing efforts in the South Island in the past fortnight, losing to Canterbury and Southland, the Waikato team suffocated the visitors with a welter of possession and territorial advantage, while strangling them on defence.

The home side scored four tries to two, leading 20-0 at halftime and 33-0 halfway through the second spell before Bay of Plenty came back to score two tries in the last quarter when the result was already settled.

Waikato coach Ian Foster was happy with the return of his side to the intensity levels that had not been there in recent weeks.

But he was still far from happy with the finishing of his team, feeling they should have scored more than four tries from the huge amount of possession they had.

"However, I'm pretty stoked with the intensity and obviously with the result of taking away the five points, which were pretty important for us to get our season back on track," Foster said.

As the new Chiefs coach he will take another look at the tape of the game with a view to individual performances from both teams for Super 12 selection.

The return of outstanding lock Keith Robinson made a big difference to the Waikato forward effort, and the rest of the tight five also appeared to lift immensely.

Robinson's new second-row partner, Sean Hohneck, also had an impressive game, and capped it off with a second-half try.

The pair and skipper Jono Gibbes dominated the lineouts. The Bay, who were without injured lock Mark Sorenson, hardly got a look in.

For the first time in three weeks Waikato dominated the tackle area, their ruck cleanout forcing a lot of Bay turnovers, and they minimised their own.

The Bay gave Waikato first use of the wind and the home side took advantage of it, first five-eighth Derek Maisey dropping a goal and centre Regan King finding his way through some hesitant defence at the end of some impressive continuity to score the first try in the 11th minute.

Wing Loki Crichton, returning to the goal-kicking duties in the absence of the injured David Hill, added a penalty goal to his conversion and then made a scintillating break from his own half to put Waikato back on attack.

From that came a try to No 8 Steven Bates and Crichton converted to complete a dominant first half for the red, yellow and blacks.

Two more Waikato tries in the first 12 minutes of the second spell sealed Bay of Plenty's fate, Hohneck getting the first and second five-eighth Keith Lowen the other.

But a 62nd-minute penalty goal from Crichton, who took his NPC points tally for the season to 96, was the last scoring for Waikato, who made a disappointing finish to the game as substitutions were made.

Veteran Bay fullback Damon Kaui was the first to take advantage after first five-eighth Glen Jackson initiated the attack with a clever wipers kick, and Bay skipper Clayton McMillan was rewarded with a hard-working effort in a beaten pack by scoring just before the final hooter after replacement Waikato wing Sosene Anesi had dropped the ball over the line at the other end of the field.

- NZPA

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