Seven teams still in with chance of semifinal spot

Mid-Canterbury's unbeaten run this season ended abruptly when Horowhenua-Kapiti stole a win in Ashburton.

Mid-Canterbury (on 18 points) keep the lead, but by just one point after Poverty Bay (17) beat Wairarapa-Bush (16) 30-5 to jump into second spot.

With the contest among those three teams heating up now for the advantageous top spot, a bigger battle is looming under them for a semifinal berth by fourth-placed Horowhenua (12 points), South Canterbury (11), King Country (10) and even West Coast (10), who shocked King Country 27-19 at Greymouth.

Winless Buller (3) are the only team in the division without a playoff chance now.

Two tries in the opening seven minutes helped Horowhenua-Kapiti to their 32-21 win.

Both tries, by winger Jamie Olsen, came after Mid-Canterbury spilled the ball.

Captain Craig Tansley's try put them 21-3 ahead.

The Mid-Canterbury pack eventually gained some traction and Nick Hartley, Nathan Fridd and Andre Renata scored, but Horowhenua had the final say with their fourth try, by Hadley Gardner.

After enjoying a 10-0 lead at halftime, Poverty Bay pressed home the advantage to beat Wairarapa-Bush 30-5 in Gisborne.

The home side's backs were perfectly willing to attack from any position to score three excellent tries and it was only the desperate scragging of a Wairarapa defender of winger Viliame Waqaseduadua that stopped a fourth.

In Greymouth, West Coast moved into playoff contention with a 27-19 win over King Country.

West Coast dug out a 15-9 first-half lead despite playing into a howling gale.

They took advantage of the wind at their backs after the break, with first five-eighths Anthony Lawry and Dan Tauwhare gaining huge territory with their tactical kicking.

West Coast stretched out to a 27-9 lead 13 minutes into the second spell but conceded two late tries.

West Coast wing Manu Weepu, 17, scored tries on either side of halftime to sink King Country's hopes.

Buller gave South Canterbury a shock but eventually went down 21-17.

South Canterbury had a 21-0 lead in the second half before Buller came back with two converted tries and a penalty goal to earn a bonus point for finishing within seven points.

Buller could have won had their goalkicking been more accurate.

However, South Canterbury deserved victory because they were quicker to the ball and more committed.

Buller were at times their own enemies, losing the ball often and at other times other errors crept into their game.

South Canterbury were tighter and made fewer errors.

Buller's comeback was sparked by the pack, who started to dominate the lineouts and matched South Canterbury in loose play but they found difficulties in the scrum.

Andrew Garton, Tavita Latu and Faingu Savitu scored South Canterbury's tries and Joseph Bradley and Dylan Davies got Buller's.

Jay Smith was Buller's kingpin particularly in the lineouts and loose play while John Smith's game in the backline was eye-catching.

- NZPA


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