NPC: Waikato forge late comeback to steal Ranfurly Shield from Taranaki with last-minute penalty

Taranaki 22

Waikato 23

Waikato have forged a late second-half comeback to steal the Ranfurly Shield off Taranaki in the final minute of a nail-biting NPC classic.

Trailing by nine points with 10 minutes on the clock, the Mooloos took the lead in the 79th minute via a Lima Sopoaga penalty kick and held on to win 23-22 at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth.

“It was huge. I think it just shows respect to the shield and how hard it is to win it,” Waikato co-captain Mitch Jacobson told Sky Sport after the win.

“It was a huge effort from the boys. I think we only led for 10 seconds or something, so we’re stoked.”

After taking a 5-3 lead into halftime, it looked as though the floodgates would open for Taranaki, as they scored two quick tries in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to push their lead out to 13.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, and trailing by nine, Waikato halfback Xavier Roe spotted a gap from a ruck and dashed through to dive over under the posts.

Waikato were threatening with ball in hand in the closing minutes before Taranaki first five-eighths Josh Jacomb won a penalty in a very kickable range, just outside the Waikato 22m line.

Jacomb turned down the posts, which would have pushed Taranaki’s lead out to five, and instead opted to kick for the corner – but kicked it dead.

Waikato capitalised on the scrum, with 20-year-old winger Oli Mathis flying down the touchline up to halfway before kicking it deep into Taranaki’s half.

Waikato were awarded a penalty advantage in the 79th minute, and after a drop-goal attempt from Sopoaga was charged down, he lined up the kick.

Taranaki protested after the ball fell off Sopoaga’s tee while he was eyeing up the posts, but the reserve first five-eighths still had 15 seconds of his allotted minute to take the kick.

The penalty sailed over to give Waikato a one-point lead with 30 seconds to play. A quick kickoff from Taranaki wasn’t enough as Waikato scrambled the ball into touch after the hooter sounded.

It is the first time since 2018 that Waikato have won the Log o’ Wood, when they also took it off Taranaki.

Of the previous five times Taranaki have held the Ranfurly Shield, four of them they’ve lost to Waikato.

Taranaki 22 (Josh Setu, Logan Crowley, Obey Samate tries; Josh Jacomb 2 cons, pen)

Waikato 23 (Dylan Eti, Xavier Roe tries; Aaron Cruden 2 pens, Lima Sopoaga 2 cons, pen)

HT: 5-3

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.