Rugby: Taranaki narrowly beat North Harbour

James King of North Harbour dives over to score a try. Photo / Getty Images

Taranaki stayed in the national provincial rugby championship semifinals mix by hunting down North Harbour to win 49-47 in a 12-try thriller at Albany today.

After trailing 18-32 at halftime, Taranaki completed the round robin on a high, their ninth win in 13 outings lifting them to 41 points.

Midway through the final round Taranaki are third on the standings but can still be overtaken by Wellington, who play Southland in Invercargill tonight, or Auckland, who are at home to Tasman tomorrow.

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They survived a torrid workout today after both teams scored six tries and North Harbour were denied a deserved draw when Mike Harris' wide angled conversion attempt in the final minute to Matt Luamanu's third try drifted to the left.

Luamanu's second hat-trick of the season capped another rousing display from the muscular No 8 but it was not enough in the end as Taranaki ultimately achieved the result they wanted.

After an unconvincing first spell, Taranaki did all they could to earn top-four status today, completing their primary goal of attaining victory and pocketing a bonus point with their fourth try courtesy of wing David Smith after a stunning break from a scrum by loose forward Samuela Vunisa in the 50th minute.

They added another two by the finish, with centre George Pisi finishing with two for the match, his latter effort from a simple backline move pushing Taranaki in front 46-42 10 minutes from fulltime.

Young first five-eighth Beauden Barrett then landed his third penalty to lift his personal haul to 19 points before Luamanu was driven over the line from a lineout as North Harbour struck back in the closing seconds.

Having conceded four tries in the first half, Taranaki responded with four of their own after the interval in a match of continual punch and counter punch.

Smith's touchdown and Barrett's sideline conversion had Taranaki very much in the contest at 32-35 before they hit the lead 12min later when Vunisa scored a try himself after being the beneficiary of Smith's quick feet, pace and a clever offload which gave the replacement forward space down the right-hand touchline.

North Harbour snatched the lead back, though, after Luamanu dismissively brushed off three tacklers en route to the line, only for Pisi's second to edge Taranaki in front in the dying stages.

Taranaki had earlier fallen behind 10-22 after 20 minutes and 18-32 by halftime after North Harbour rocked the visitors with four tries.

After Luamanu scored following a lineout drive, lock James King crossed twice in the space of two minutes.

His first came after quick hands and a neat pass from Luamanu saw him stroll through a hole and the second after a counter-attack from the resulting kickoff when halfback and captain Chris Smylie featured twice before the lock was given an unimpeded run to the line.

Taranaki fought back to trail 18-25 through Barrett's second penalty and a try to Pisi, who wrestled his way over the line in two tackles when the visitors eschewed a kick at goal and opted for a quick tap inside the North Harbour 22.

But the home side reasserted themselves before the break when Smylie burrowed over from close range as his team took a handy lead into the break.

Taranaki hung on, trimming the difference four minutes after the restart when hooker Mahonri Schwalger was driven over from a lineout, with Barrett's conversion keeping the visitors in touch.

Taranaki 49 (George Pisi 2, Jayden Hayward, Mahonri Schwalger, David Smith, Samulea Vunisa tries; Beauden Barrett 3 pen, 5 con)

North Harbour 47 (Matt Luamanu 3, James King 2, Chris Smylie tries; Mike Harris 3 pen, 4 con).

Halftime: 18-32.

- NZPA