Rugby: Bay of Plenty ease by Waikato

Bay of Plenty sit on the top of the Premiership table. Photo / Getty Images

Bay of Plenty stretched their winning streak to three after they mauled Waikato 36-8 in a national provincial championship rugby match in Rotorua tonight.

A fine all round performance by first five-eighth Daniel Waenga who set up two tries and kicked 16 points with his boot helped send Waikato spinning to their second defeat in three games.

Waenga was not the only star on show for Bay of Plenty. Fullback Toby Arnold bagged two tries and then turned provider with a scything run that splintered the Waikato defence in the second half.

Waikato changed 10 of their starting 15 from their last outing and tonight inserted five of this season's Chiefs - Jackson Willison, Brendon Leonard, Nathan White, Aled de Malmanche and Ben May to face Bay of Plenty's complement of Lelia Masaga, Colin Bourke, Tanerau Latimer, Culum Retallick and Dan Perrin.

But it was Bay of Plenty who gelled better with Latimer and Bourke the main driving force.

Waikato turned in a disjointed performance and compounded their woes with an indisciplined display that let Waenga punch over morale sapping penalties in the first half.

Waenga opened the scoring with a penalty that Waikato conceded under pressure in defence and then set his backline alight to for Arnold to score the first try after chiming into a sweeping move.

The first five-eighth converted and then added another two penalties, one from long range, to seal a 16-3 lead at halftime. Waikato's points came from a penalty taken by first five-eighth Trent Renata.

An early second half penalty by Waenga had Waikato back-pedalling for the rest of the match and Arnold quickly got his second try after lively wing Lelia Masaga barged past two feeble tackles.

Waenga then glided through the midfield and his break set up substitute hooker John Paraenga for his side's third try.

Waikato grabbed a try through lock Toby Lynn against the run of play only to see Arnold unlock their defence with his run late in the match, his offload giving substitute halfback Taniela Moa the simplest of tasks to plant down his side's fourth and bonus point try.

The victory sees Bay of Plenty top the standings with 14 well clear of closest pursuers Canterbury and Auckland who have six points each.

- NZPA