After all, having rested key players Tom Robinson and Josh Moorby, they dominated much of the first half, and trailed just 14-10 at the split, before the red and blacks finished over the top of them. Canterbury scored six of their competition-leading 53 tries that night, and are expected on Friday to name a more powerful team for the rematch. Armed with a 9-1 record – their only loss was to Taranaki – the Marty Bourke-coached red and blacks head into the playoffs as favourites to bag their first NPC title since 2017.
Regardless, there are some tasty sudden-death fixtures to get your teeth into this week, starting with another Battle of the Bridge. READ MORE: * Auckland's Niko Jones and Southland's Hayden Michaels cop three-week bans * Ian Foster says he wasn't behind Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's wing move, but he likes it * The Japan syndrome and how it's hitting Damian McKenzie's All Blacks chances * Roger Tuivasa-Sheck needs versatility to stay in All Blacks, say ex-greats * NPC wrap: Canterbury to face Northland as quarterfinalists confirmed North Harbour v Auckland (Friday, 7.
Rugby Union: Bunnings NPC 2022 live - Livesport.com Auckland. 23:05. Latest Scores. NEW ZEALANDBunnings NPC - Play Offs. Quarter-finals. Waikato. Bay of Plenty. 27. 34. 08.10. Canterbury.
Canterbury v Northland (Saturday, 4. 35pm) Make no mistake, Northland are a significantly better team than the score of their last match against Canterbury would indicate. They were hammered 46-17 in Christchurch a month ago, but did enough in the first half to fuel their confidence of pulling off an almighty upset of the top seeds, who have not lost to Northland in the Garden City since 1987.
It was also one of seven straight wins Wellington have notched headed into the playoffs, arguably making them the hottest team in the competition. To think they started the season by losing two of their first three games, including a 43-10 pasting at the hands of Canterbury in round two, before Northland rolled them in Porirua the following week. For a team with as much star quality as the Lions, it was baffling stuff.
But they’ve since balled out and qualified for the playoffs as the winners of the Odds conference. As for the Magpies, a year after inspirational hooker Ash Dixon moved on, their 5-1-4 record makes it clear they’re not the force of recent years. That said, there’s still more than enough quality – think Brad Weber, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u and Jonah Lowe – for them to knock over anyone on their day. TAB odds: Wellington $1. 45 Hawke's Bay $2. 80 Prediction: Wellington by 10Hannah Peters/Getty ImagesCanterbury didn’t have it all their way against Northland when they met in Christchurch last month.
05pm) There’s arguably no better team to watch in the competition than North Harbour. Armed with a potent back-three of Shaun Stevenson, Tevita Li and Mark Telea, North Harbour scored a competition high 390 points – one more than Canterbury – during the regular season. Li accounted for 12 of their 51 tries, and amassed a competition-high 1106 metres gained with ball in hand. Stevenson (1085m) and Telea (995m) also cracked the top-five. Fiona Goodall/Getty ImagesNorth Harbour wing Tevita Li has scored a competition-high 12 tries this season. Their 6-4 record was good enough for second in the Evens conference behind the red and blacks, although they were beaten 36-26 by Auckland at Eden Park in round one.
Bay of Plenty Steamers v Canterbury today - SunLive Earlier in the day prior to the much anticipated Steams v Canterbury game, there will be plenty more rugby to watch with FMG Boys Rural