ITM Cup: Southland's sweet redemption over Canterbury

Lima Sopoaga slotted the winning points for Southland. Photo / NZ HErald

Southland 28
Canterbury 26

Two years after copping an 84-0 hiding at the hands of Canterbury in Christchurch, Southland found sweet redemption thanks to a 79th minute penalty goal by first five Lima Sopoaga.

That was followed by an 80th minute miss by Richie Mo'unga after Canterbury's scrum demolished the visitors. In truth, Canterbury huffed and puffed.

Rugby looks much tougher for the champions right now. There is little of the clinical, open rugby that characterised their early 2014 ITM Cup work.

Exhibit A was fullback Richie Mo'unga's horrible, loose pass in his in-goal which gifted impressive Stags loosie John Hardie a second spell try. By then, Dan Carter had done his half for the day, and Willi Heinz moved to No 10, which was strange when Mo'unga could easily have slotted in at pivot.

In general, there was too much kicking by both sides in prime, fine conditions. The Stags should have used midfielders Willis Halaholo and Cardiff Vaega more often to punch
holes or set targets, but they belied their lowly position on the Championship table.

They did get some continuity going late in the piece, and caused Canterbury real trouble, such as when Halaholo scored off a Hardie break. They were not helped by conceding what looked to be a harsh penalty try, though Canterbury did have the dominant scrum at the time.

Lock Dominic Bird threw his weight around, pulling down lineout ball and making a nuisance of himself in the mauls, especially when he put a shoulder into Jamie Mackintosh's kidney.

The first half was nip and tuck, Canterbury trying to stamp a physical mark, while the visitors looked to send kicks in behind the Canterbury defensive line.

There was an almighty battle in the loose forwards, where Southland's two tigerish opensides, Tim Boys and Hardie, gave their usual wholehearted efforts against the industrious and more illustrious duo of Matt Todd and Luke Whitelock.

Canterbury wing Nathaniel Apa scored the first try, as he did on Wednesday in Albany, finishing in style on the end of the chain. Southland's reply was swift, wing Bryan Milne scoring off a superbly worked scrum move.

Canterbury next host Tasman on Saturday night in a top-of-the-table Premiership clash, while Southland welcome Counties Manukau a few hours earlier in Invercargill.

Southland (Bryan Milne, John Hardie, Willis Halaholo tries; Lima Sopoaga 2 con, 3 pen)
Canterbury (Nathaniel Apa try, penalty try; Daniel Carter con, 3 pen, Richie Mo'unga con, pen) HT: 16-10 Canterbury

Game moments

DC update
In his first game for Canterbury since 2009, and just 28th since 2002, Dan Carter played 40 minutes, well within himself, but ticking all the right boxes with no errors.

Boys hits the ton
The Southland No 7 hoisted his 100th NPC game, and mucked in with typical admirable vigour.