Waikato 30 Counties Manukau 8
KEY POINTS:
The point of playing rugby at night during mid-winter looked questionable at best last night at Waikato Stadium as the defending champions muddled their way to an unimpressive victory over Counties Manukau.
A crowd that could most kindly be described as small turned up to watch the Chiefs' two main protagonists play out a game of stunning mediocrity. Those watching at home presumably would have either changed channels after about eight minutes or spent the rest of their evening wondering why they really didn't have anything better to do with their lives.
Shortly into the second half many of those in attendance started entertaining themselves. A favourite game of those seated near the press box was to boo one poor soul every time he dared to stop ringing his cow bell.
Eventually security intervened but those who had turned their backs on the game to watch the commotion didn't miss anything, save another couple of handling errors.
As far as culprits went, the extended shower that descended on the ground 30 seconds into the match was doubtless a key offender.
Referee Bryce Lawrence would also have to cop a share of the blame for his lax officiating around the fringes of the rucks, which made it hard for either side to get clean ball.
Stephen Donald began the game from the bench due to a niggling back injury but, with his understudy Willie Ripia enduring a miserable night outside a brace of rookie halfbacks, Donald was sent into the fray shortly into the second half with the scores locked at 8-8.
He was joined by Liam Messam and the introduction of the experienced duo quickly proved to be a get out of jail free card.
Donald was hardly on a minute when he kicked a penalty to nudge Waikato in front.
Flanker Messam seemed to bring with him orders for the Waikato forwards to tuck the ball under their jumpers and the change in tactics soon paid dividends.
Messam was held up from a rolling mall but, from the resulting scrum, wing Roy Kinikinilau showed good power to swivel and score in the corner for a try that killed off Counties.
Donald's conversion left Counties needing a repeat of the 10-point burst that saw them snatch a draw from North Harbour last week.
But that seldom looked like happening and Waikato closed out the game through Kinikinilau's second five minutes from time and a bonus point try to James Kamana they scarcely deserved.
The first half might have lacked quality but it didn't lack for incident.
Waikato nosed in front through a Ripia penalty after a sweeping attack that ended with Counties No 8 Taiasina Tuifua in the bin for a shoulder charge on Jared Payne and Waikato halfback David Bason heading for the sidelines after a head knock.
Bason's departure exposed even further the province's halfback depth, with his replacement Josh Sutherland struggling mightily against a Counties defence that pushed the offside law to the limit. Waikato took advantage of Tuifua's absence with a neatly worked try to Payne but from then on it all went a bit pear-shaped.
The hosts clocked up 10 handling errors in the first half and Counties eventually made them pay, with centre Niva Ta'auso palming off a weak challenge from Ripia and dancing down the touchline for a try that levelled the scores at the break.
Waikato 30 (R. Kinikinilau 2, J. Payne, J. Kamana tries; W. Ripia pen, S. Donald pen, 2 con) Counties Manukau 8 (N. Ta'auso try, Tanner Vili pen). HT: 8-8.
