Impressive Taranaki cruise past Manawatu

Taranaki moved five points clear of Canterbury atop the Mitre 10 Cup standings after beating Manawatu 46-25 in New Plymouth on Wednesday.

The result means they only require one point from their final game of the regular-season, against North Harbour on Sunday, to finish top.

Taranaki led 27-6 at the break in this Ranfurly Shield match thanks to a brace apiece from wing Waisake Naholo and centre Seta Tamanivalu.

They impressed for the pace-setters with Naholo’s tries both strong finishes in the 22nd and 40th minute, Tamanivalu’s coming in between.

All that Manawatu could muster were two Otere Black penalty goals but the fly-half was injured soon after, compounding the Turbos’ woes.

Manawatu though did strike first in the second-half courtesy of replacement scrum-half Jamie Booth’s try but Taranaki hit back via Charlie Ngatai’s strong carry over the whitewash, which made it 34-11 with over 20 minutes remaining in a hugely entertaining Mitre 10 Cup fixture.

The scoring continued on 62 minutes when Ambrose Curtis finished well on the left, despite desperate scrambling defence to make it 34-18.

A Jade Te Rure try, which he converted himself, added some respectibality to the score for Manawatu but further five-pointers – in the game’s closing stages – from Kylem O’Donnell and Adrian Wyrill sealed an emphatic win for the ‘Naki.

The scorers:

For Taranaki:
Tries: Naholo 2, Tamanivalu 2, Ngatai, K O’Donnell, Wyrill
Cons: McKenzie 4
Pen: McKenzie

For Manawatu:
Tries: Booth, Curtis, Te Ruru
Cons: Te Ruru 2
Pens: Black 2
Yellow Card: Alaalatoa

Taranaki: 15 Marty McKenzie, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Seta Tamanivalu, 12 Sean Wainui, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Lachlan Boshier, 6 Pita-Gus Sowakula, 5 Leon Power, 4 Kane Thompson, 3 Angus Ta’avao (c), 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Mitchell Graham
Replacements: 16 Donald Maka, 17 Jared Proffit, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Fin Hoeata, 20 Adrian Wyrill, 21 Kylem O’Donnell, 22 Charlie Ngatai, 23 Declan O’Donnell

Manawatu: 15 Kurt Baker, 14 Newton Tudreu, 13 Jason Emery, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ambrose Curtis, 10 Otere Black, 9 Kayne Hammington, 8 Brice Henderson, 7 Antonio Kiri Kiri, 6 Heiden Bedwell-Curtis (c), 5 Jackson Hemopo, 4 Tom Parsons, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Hunter Prescott, 1 Fraser Armstrong
Replacements: 16 Tim Cadwallader, 17 Tuki Raimona, 18 Sean Paranihi, 19 Liam Hallam-Eames, 20 Harrison Brewer, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Jade Te Rure, 23 Te Rangatira Waitokia

Referee: Shane McDermott