Rugby: Waldrom steals the show from Cruden

Aaron Cruden. Photo / Getty Images

Manawatu 10
Taranaki 12

Those who would have rushed Manawatu first five-eighths Aaron Cruden into the All Blacks must be feeling a little silly right now but there were enough good touches from the young No 10 to show why those suggestions were made.

He has pace, balance and awareness and a smart, if not overly long, kicking game. It is his running which catches the eye. He has the ability to go to the line and spin out a pass at exactly the right moment, putting the receiver into space or near-space.

He is strong enough and quick enough to offload in the tackle and he gave Manawatu enough options with the ball to keep them solidly in this match even when Taranaki were plugging up the middle, dominating territory, possession and penalty kicks at goal.

Having said all that, it was one-match All Black Scott Waldrom who dominated, rather than Cruden. In a fine display of pace, ball-hunting and support play, Waldrom's was excellent loose forward work before he was subbed around the 65 minutes mark.

He almost scored a try under the bar, held out by desperate defence, which would surely have put Taranaki much further in the lead than their 12-3 halftime margin, all from kicks.

The Taranaki forwards, led by Waldrom, hooker Andrew Hore and locks Craig Clarke and Jason Eaton, did a lot of driving and pulled off a lot of pick-and-go moves. It was unimaginative but effective stuff and first five-eighths Wille Ripia kept knocking over the penalties that accrued from the tactic.

But Manawatu always looked dangerous when they had the ball and they were finally rewarded when bustling fullback Kurt Baker kicked ahead, outpaced the Taranaki cover and scored.

Baker has one of the more eye-catching haircuts in the Air NZ Cup - he looks like he is wearing a raccoon on his head - and is outdone only by Manawatu centre Tevita Taufui who manages to look like he is wearing two raccoons.

Baker's try - not the only time he was seen to good effect during this game - brought the score to 12-10 and the 10,000 who showed up to watch this match became even more intensely interested.

But the weight of Taranaki's possession told; as did Manawatu's errors. Ripia controlled the match well in the last 20 minutes to finish stronger than Cruden.

Clarke copped a yellow card for a coathanger tackle on Cruden in the last minute but Cruden, after dusting himself off, couldn't kick the 48m goal.

Manawatu 10 (K Baker try; A Cruden pen, con) Taranaki 12 (W Ripia 3 pens, B Goodin drop goal). Halftime: 3-12.