Round 8 Wrap: Upsets throw playoff race wide open

New Zealand's most exciting Bunnings NPC for several seasons produced more upsets as teams scramble through the final stages of round-robin play in the chase for places in the top eight.

Wellington, in spite of their thumping 12-51 loss to Counties Manukau are in top position, sharing 35 points with Taranaki, who were given a 33-31 fright from last-placed Manawatu in New Plymouth.

Tasman, who went down 31-47 to Otago, and Bay of Plenty who were too good for Northland 53-13, have 33 points.

Hawke's Bay halted their run of poor form by beating Auckland 36-35 in a desperate finishing in Napier.

Canterbury, who were thrashed 65-19 by North Harbour, are seventh, while Harbour is in ninth place, sharing 23 points with eighth-placed Counties Manukau.

Auckland faces two top-placed teams in the final week and seems destined to miss the playoffs. They have a Ranfurly Shield challenge with Tasman on Wednesday and then host Bay of Plenty in Auckland on Sunday

Waratahs first five-eighths Tane Edmed is the first player to pass 100 points in the competition, ending on 102 after Saturday's round.

Taranaki 31 North Harbour 25

North Harbour made a strong start, although it took a sin-binning of Taranaki flanker Michael Loft to diminish the defence and allow wing Tima Fainga'anuku to go across in the corner for the opening try. Being down a man didn't matter for long as Taranaki stormed back. North Harbour found themselves on the wrong end of hooker Ricky Riccitelli. He had a big night, scoring four tries, the first of them from a fierce rolling maul in the 13th minute. Five minutes later, another maul saw him over again. North Harbour's first five-eighths, Tane Edmed, put a kick to the corner, where wing Moses Leo got the bounce and scored at the end of the first quarter. Edmed reclaimed the lead with a penalty goal, but the loss of prop Ben Ruzich to the sin-bin was enough for Taranaki to kick to the corner and halfback Logan Crowley was on the back of the maul to score.

Two minutes into the second half, yet another maul allowed Riccitelli to secure a hat-trick of tries. A minute after getting a warning for infringements in the 22m area, North Harbour lost hooker Shilo Klein, and the immediate result was Riccitelli's fourth try from a maul. North Harbour scored the final try to Edmed, outside replacement Shaun Stevenson, but then Edmed's poor pass at the end of a 22-phase play ended his side's hope of a last-minute win.

Taranaki 31 (Ricky Riccitelli 4, Logan Crowley tries; Josh Jacomb 3 con) North Harbour 25 (Tima Fainga'anuku, Moses Leo, Tane Edmed tries; Edmed 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 21-18.

Counties Manukau 51 Wellington 12

Counties Manukau's past sides would have been thrilled to witness the side take down Wellington with an uncompromising and unrelenting display of forward power. Bullocking, bustling tries to prop Kauvaka Kaiveleta, first five-eighths AJ Alatimu, in the middle of a 22m driving maul, and hooker Ian West-Stevens gave the home team a 24-0 lead at halftime, a rich reward for their territorial dominance.

And if Wellington thought the second half might offer some relief, a superb 50-22 by second five-eighths Riley Hohepa created a penalty goal chance which extended Counties Manukau's lead. Mistakes were also punished as Wellington looked to attack. A dropped ball was snapped up by fullback Simon-Peter Toleafoa, who ran 80m to score. Then the pack unleashed more devil with a driving lineout maul try for loose forward replacement Cameron Church. To rub it in, centre Tevita Ofa made a sizzling side-stepping break and set up a 60m move ended by flanker Adam Brash. Wellington centre Peter Umaga-Jensen erased the 0 on the scoreboard with a 73rd-minute try, followed soon after by No8 Jeremiah Avei-Collins, but it all proved academic. It was Counties Manukau's night.

Counties Manukau 51 (Kauvaka Kaivelata, AJ Alatimu, Ian West-Stevens, Simon-Peter Toleafoa, Cameron Church, Adam Brash tries; Alatimu 6 con, 3 pen) Wellington 12 (Peter Umaga-Jensen, Jeremiah Avei-Collins tries; Callum Harkin con). HT: 24-0

Bay of Plenty 53 Northland 13

Spring conditions favoured running on top of the ground in Tauranga, and the home team took to it with a vengeance. Their big men handled the ball with aplomb in the first quarter. Hooker Kurt Eklund and prop Filipe Vakasiuolabenefited from practical combined work with tries. A lovely backline move capped another midfield break by second five-eighths Willis Haloholo and opened up a gap for first five-eighths Lucas Cashmore to run through for a third try. A Haloholo double round took play close to Northland's line, and after 10 forward phases, lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi burst over to give the Bay a 27-3 lead at the break.

Unadulterated speed on the right flank saw wing Leroy Carter and centre Emoni Narawa too hot for Northland to handle before Carter scored four minutes into the second half. The backs threw the ball around, and with Ah Kuoi floating in midfield, he crossed for a second try. Narawa set up a try for replacement wing Fehi Fineanganofo, and fullback Cole Forbes toed the ball on after a Northland strip in a tackle to score and give the Bay a 53-3 lead. Into the final 10 minutes, replacement prop Rob Cobb and fullback Jordan Trainor crossed for tries for Northland.

Bay of Plenty 53 (Kurt Eklund, Filipe Vakasiuola, Lucas Cashmore, Naitoa Ah Kuoi 2, Leroy Carter, Fehi Fineanganofo, Cole Forbes tries; Cashmore 5 con, pen) Northland 13 (Rob Cobb, Jordan Trainor tries; Rivez Reihana pen). HT: 27-3

Hawke's Bay 36 Auckland 35

Auckland started in Napier with quality play that didn't bode well for the home team, centre Xavi Taele sniping around the blindside of a goalline ruck to score and then fullback Zarn Sullivan slicing through in midfield to create a try for Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and a 12-0 lead after seven minutes. Second five-eighths Kienan Higgins' quick release and regather short of the line saw him score the Bay's first try. They used their lineout maul for hooker Kianu Kereru-Symes to cross for their second.

Up 18-10 into the second half, Auckland suffered a double blow with a dangerous two-man tackle by Sullivan and prop Sika Pole on the Bay's flanker Sam Smith being punished with both being sin-binned. Hawke's Bay took an instant toll with a six-phase play, seeing Freedom Vaha'akolo crossing on the left flank. A poor Bay lineout throw allowed Auckland replacement hooker Mills Sanerivi to score. But the Bay responded with a better-attacking lineout for replacement hooker Tyrone Thompson to score. A Sullivan penalty goal was followed by a try resulting from a midfield Garryowen by first five-eighths Rico Simpson that bounced wildly before Caleb Tangitau took it and carried play to the line where it was replacement Vaiolini Ekuasi who gave Auckland a 35-22 lead with 13 minutes to play. The Bay wouldn't lie down. With three minutes left, replacement halfback Sam Wye scored. Two minutes into extra time, wing Ben O'Donnell got over out wide, and fullback Harry Godfrey's superb conversion gave Hawke's Bay what had seemed an unlikely victory.

Hawke's Bay 36 (Kienan Higgins, Kianu Kereru-Symes, Freedom Vaha'akolo, Tyrone Thompson, Sam Wye, Ben O'Donnell tries; Harry Godfrey 3 con) Auckland 35 (Xavi Taele, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Mills Sanerivi, Vaiolini Ekuasi tries; Zarn Sullivan 3 con, 3 pen). HT: 10-18

Otago 47 Tasman 31

First five-eighths Cameron Millar got Otago off to a perfect start, taking the ball to the line and then back handing a pass to fullback Finn Hurley but Tasman struck soon after with wing Jack Gray responding with a try, that was followed by centre Nic Sauira after a chargedown of a Hurley kick. It was thrust and counter thrust as No8 Christian Lio-Willie scored for the home team. Otago's 14-10 lead at the break proved a mere appetiser.

Opening in the second minute with Hudson Creighton's try after Millar and Hurley combined in the set up. Halfback Louie Chapman replied for Tasman with Johnny Lee scoring to claim the lead. Then debut wing Maloni Kunawave took his chance when Tasman threw the ball wide to take a 31-21 lead. Replacement halfback Nathan Hastie replied for Otago with Will Stodart's try reclaiming the lead before a penalty try pushed them into upset territotry then after a Hurley break to the line saw lock Fraser Holland pick up and drive over in the last minute.

Otago 47 (Finn Hurley, Christian Lio-Willie, Hudson Creighton, Nathan Hastie, Will Stodart, Fraser Holland tries; Penalty try; Cameron Millar 5 con) Tasman 31 (Jack Gray, Nic Sauira, Louie Chapman, Johnny Lee, Maloni Kunawave tries; Cooper Grant 3 con). HT: 14-10

North Harbour 65 Canterbury 19

A brilliant 55m try by first five-eighths Tane Edmed 67 seconds after the start set the scene for one of the more outstanding home efforts for many seasons. Prop Fatongia Paea produced an interesting variation on a dummy to corkscrew over for a try in the 14th minute. Then Canterbury prop Joe Moody's attempted short pass fell to the ground for Moses Leo to pounce and race 55m unchallenged to score. Centre Braydon Ennor found space and provided good ball for wing Chay Fihaki to run in Canterbury's first try in the 23rd minute. Six minutes later, Ennor's sideline break gave Canterbury momentum, resulting in a try for second five-eighths Dallas McLeod. But Leo beat the cover to score his second try four minutes from the break. But McLeod's charge down of a Shaun Stevenson kick pulled seven points back.

Leo's speed was too much two minutes into the second half as he raced in for his hat-trick. Then flanker Jed Melvin capped a move from Harbour's goalline by crossing for a superb team try. The momentum was all with Harbour as replacement Tristyn Cook, Stevenson and replacement hooker Bryn Gordon sealed the deal.

North Harbour 65 (Tane Edmed, Fatongia Paea, Moses Leo 3, Jed Melvin, Tristyn Cook, Shaun Stevenson, Bryn Gordon tries; Edmed 7 con, 2pen) Canterbury 19 (Chay Fihaki, Dallas McLeod 2 tries; Shun Miyake 2 con). HT: 29-19

Southland 14 Waikato 38

Waikato flanker Xavier Saifoloi showed delicate touch on the sideline to fire an excellent pass inside, then stayed in support to accept a return pass to score in the 11th minute. Three minutes later, Waikato won an advantage just out from their 22m line and moved the ball wide for Quinn Tupaea to run onto the ball, fed inside to centre Bailyn Sullivan, who then put first five-eighths Aaron Cruden away for their second try. Southland struck back despite looking to have lost a chance, only to run a cleared ball back at Waikato with wing Rory van Vugt appearing in midfield to race through to score. Then two minutes from halftime, Southland used its lineout maul to drive 20m for hooker Jack Taylor to score.

Waikato turned on the forward power in the second half, and the home team in Invercargill could not respond. Prop Ollie Norris scored four minutes into the half and was followed by a 52m penalty goal by first five-eighths D'Angelo Leuila. A midfield kick blew back on Southland. Saifoloi gathered to send halfback Xavier Roe into the 22m area, where he back-handed a pass to Tupaea who scored. It was left to Leuila to cap a good day by scoring the final try with 14 minutes to play.

Southland 14 (Rory van Vugt, Jack Taylor tries; Jason Robertson 2 con) Waikato 38 (Xavier Saifoloi, Aaron Cruden, Ollie Norris, Quinn Tupaea, D'Angelo Leuila tries; Cruden 3 con; Leuila 2 con, pen). HT: 14-14

Taranaki 33 Manawatū 31

Manawatū stunned Taranaki with a fifth-minute 50m try for fullback Reece MacDonald. But that fired the home team in New Plymouth, where replacement Jaden Sa scored in the 11th minute. However, former Japanese Test player Ataata Moeakiola scored in the corner for the home team. But Manawatu's prop George Blake was sin-binned for an off-the-ball incident, and three minutes into injury time, No8 Kaylum Boshier scored with the conversion, giving Taranaki a 14-12 lead.

Eight minutes into the second half, Sa scored his second try, then moments later, fullback Obay Samata was over after a length-of-the-field Taranaki break took them to a 28-12 lead. Moeakiola scored his second for the visitors, and an intercept by flanker Elyjah Crosswell took Manawatu to within two points. However, the Manawatu defence couldn't hold, and wing Jacob Ratumataivuki-Kneepkens scored what proved a crucial try because Manawatu had a chance with nine minutes left and it was replacement back Sam Coles who scored to leave two points in it. However, Taranaki held on to claim a key win.

Taranaki 33 (Jayden Sa 2, Kaylum Boshier, Obey Samate, Jacob Ratumataivuki-Kneepkens tries; Josh Jacomb 4 con) Manawatū 31 (Reece MacDonald, Ataata Moeakiola 2, Elyjah Crosswell, Sam Coles tries; Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 3 con).

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