Rugby: Northland blitz to six-try win

Lachie Munro. Photo / Getty Images

Northland 43 Hawke's Bay 34

Northland came out on top 43-34 in a nine-try extravaganza against Hawke's Bay in their national provincial championship rugby match in Whangarei tonight.

Northland dominated possession and territory for much of the match, but their win was primarily built on the base of a solid forward effort.

While Hawke's Bay second five-eighth Andrew Horrell kept his team in touch through five penalties, Northland's six tries proved too much to overcome.

A focused, well-organised start saw Northland out to an early 7-0 lead, the home team capitalising on good field position and a solid lineout to set up an unstoppable rolling maul which bulldozered loosehead prop Matt Wallis over.

Lachie Munro, today running the Northland backline from No 10, added the extras to make it 7-0 after five minutes.

Horrell and Munro exchanged penalties before Northland produced a carbon copy of their first try.

Lock Bryce Williams snaffled the lineout throw five metres out, the Northland pack drive powered through the Hawke's Bay defence and Wallis once again was in the thick of it to secure the try.

Hawke's Bay hit back five minutes, finally establishing some field position and continuity. Tighthead prop Ben Tameifuna battered the defensive line from close in before a quick recycle saw lock Brodie Rettalick over in the corner.

Down to 14 men after centre Tu Umaga-Marshall's yellow card just before the half-hour mark, Hawke's Bay conceded another try after wings Bryce Heem and Simon Munro combined to scythe through the midfield for Munro to score between the posts.

Ahead 24-8 with eight minutes until the break, Northland let the game slip, conceding two penalties before Umaga-Marshall made amends for his sin-binning by setting up Horrell for a nicely-taken try.

The conversion gave the home team a narrow 24-21 lead at the break, a gap they extended barely five minutes into the second stanza when openside flanker Danny Mason dived over for Northland's third try off a rolling maul.

Fifteen minutes into the second spell, Northland centre Warren Dunn waltzed through the Bay defence to give the home team a 14-point lead after the conversion.

Hawke's Bay battled back on a rare incursion into Northland territory, a superb long-range cut-out pass from halfback Chris Eaton finding Richard Buckman out on the right wing for Hawke's Bay's third try.

Horrell's boot added the extras, with another penalty narrowing the lead to 38-34 with less than 10 minutes remaining.

With Hawke's Bay threatening, an unforced error saw Northland lock Mark Burman latch onto the loose ball, turn and kick for Simon Munro to toe ahead and win the race to the line.

- NZPA