Taranaki 30
Manawatu 16
For 73 minutes of this match, the Taranaki players might have thought they would have to hide under the green buckets Manawatu fans take pride in wearing to support their side.
The amber and blacks were supposed to win this one at a canter, to cement a spot in the
top four and maintain a push for a home semifinal. But they were pushed all the way by unfancied Manawatu and might have gone down had the visitors had a little more class and composure.
Taranaki needed a 73rd-minute converted try to Jayden Hayward - the last pass from Tyson Keats looked forward - and another two minutes later to first five-eighth Beauden Barrett, who touched down after a brilliant solo run from 65m out, to finally make the game safe.
In the end, they secured a bonus-point victory to go temporarily to the top of the table but there would have been a few collective sighs of relief.
The beauty of the ITM Cup is that there aren't any sure things - especially when it comes to local derbies. Tasman upstaged Canterbury earlier in the season, Manawatu beat Wellington and Otago gave Southland a big scare (yes, Otago are Little Brother these days).
The Turbos also wouldn't have liked the fact Taranaki snaffled a couple of their better players in the pre-season.
Taranaki ought to have predicted this sort of fight but they lacked urgency throughout. Even a halftime rollicking from coach Colin Cooper didn't seem to work and Cooper had little hesitation in chucking on a number of his substitutes early in the second half.
Their best period came in the opening 20 minutes, when they opened up a 12-0 lead through tries to Scott Ireland and Andre Taylor, and the last seven.
At times they played with good continuity, backing up the ball-carrier, but they were also made to look second best by Manawatu for long periods.
The visitors have had a difficult season. They've won only two of their 12 games and lack any real firepower.
They battled hard but their set-pieces, especially their scrum, were under constant pressure and they slipped off some important tackles. They did put some good phases together and first five-eighth Aaron Cruden was at the centre of most of their good work.
Cruden has looked good since returning from All Black duty but you wonder how long Manawatu will be able to hang onto him as they falter at the wrong end of the bottom seven.
Taranaki 30 (S. Ireland, A. Taylor, J. Hayward, B. Barrett tries; W. Ripia con, pen; Taylor pen, con) Manawatu 16 (H. Gosling try; A. Cruden 3 pens, con). HT: 15-3.
