Final four locked in for Bunnings NPC

Second and third-ranked sides Taranaki and Tasman were surprise losers in the weekend Bunnings NPC quarterfinals.

Taranaki went down 14-15 to Waikato in New Plymouth, while Tasman suffered a record 14-62 loss to Canterbury in Blenheim.

In next weekend's semifinals, Wellington will play Waikato, and Bay of Plenty will host Canterbury.

Wellington 29 Counties Manukau 14

Wellington's second five-eighths, Riley Higgins, demonstrated the benefit of the double-round play to score the first try after seven minutes at SKY Stadium in Wellington. He fired a long pass from midfield to hooker Asafo Aumua and then moved behind and around him to accept a pass to run 25m down the sideline for the try. Counties Manukau hooker Zuriel Togiatama paid the price for an upright, clash-of-heads tackle on William Furniss when sin-binned in the 21st minute. Wellington took full advantage from the penalty lineout. Working a switch move, flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi fed the ball to prop Siale Lauaki, who passed to Aumua just inside touch. He return-passed to Lauaki, who then found Kirifi in support to score. Two minutes later, a ruck turnover allowed Wellington to move the ball wide, where Losilosi Filipo gave thrust down the sideline and then return-passed to centre Billy Proctor who worked infield to score close to the posts.

Restored to full strength, Counties Manukau mounted a response with fullback Simon-Peter Toleafoa running onto a long pass out wide. He fed wing Josh Gray, who then linked inside to halfback Cam Roigard, who had flanker Adam Brash alongside to score a try. Into the second half, Aumua's presence out wide paid off again when he received the ball on the end of the line, and after making ground, he passed inside for halfback TJ Perenara to score in the 51st minute. Four minutes later, Roigard showed his halfback rival he could also score when barging through from a tap penalty. Still in touch at 14-24, the visitors mounted a prolonged attack, but Wellington's defence held. Then, in the 74th minute, the ball was ripped, and from 70m out, Wellington reacted with Proctor giving Filipo time and space to beat the cover defence to race ahead and then turn the ball inside to replacement back Kyle Preston, who put the game beyond doubt with his try.

Wellington 29 (Riley Higgins, DuPlessis Kirifi, Billy Proctor, TJ Perenara, Kyle Preston tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 2 con) Counties Manukau 14 (Adam Brash, Cameron Roigard tries; AJ Alatimu con; Riley Hohepa con). HT: 19-7

Bay of Plenty 19 Hawke's Bay 17 

Building on an outstanding midfield break by second five-eighths Willis Haloholo, Bay of Plenty put 16 phases together before an untidy backhand pass that went to the ground was picked up by wing Leroy Carter to open the scoring in Tauranga with a try in the eighth minute. Hawke's Bay fullback made the most of good ball 40m out from the home line to scythe through on an outstanding solo rugby to level the scores nine minutes later. Hawke's Bay attempted a lineout maul, but when it was held up, hooker Tyrone Thompson came back around to the short side and powered down the sideline to score in the corner to secure a 12-7 lead 10 minutes from halftime.

Three minutes into the second half, Hawke's Bay took down a Bay of Plenty lineout drive with tighthead prop Joel Hintz being sin-binned, and the home team claiming the lead through a penalty try. Hawke's Bay looked to get over the line with a try to Hugh Renton, but the TMO ruled he made a double movement, and the try was scrubbed. But the visitors didn't give up, and with 11 minutes left, replacement hooker Jacob Devery scored off a rolling lineout maul. Then, in the last minute, a penalty was kicked to the corner, and while the ball was tapped back infield, it was ruled the player who tapped the ball, did not recatch it, so a lineout was awarded to the home team. With their fans roaring them on lock, Naitoa Ah Kuoi secured the ball, and the maul was mounted. Eventually, replacement hooker Taine Kolosi got the ball down over the line to complete the win.

Bay of Plenty 19 (Leroy Carter, Taine Kolosi tries; Penalty try; Kaleb Trask con) Hawke's Bay 17 (Harry Godfrey, Tyrone Thompson, Jacob Devery tries; Godfrey con). HT: 7-12

Taranaki 14 Waikato 15 

Seventh-qualifier Waikato made the running from the outset and had its reward just on eight minutes when prop Ollie Norris feinted to pass and crossed close to the posts for the opening try. Eight minutes later, usual flanker Oli Mathis, who started the game on the right win because of Waikato's injuries, capped some well-worked passing to cut back inside to score their second try. Into the final 10 minutes of the first half, Taranaki threw everything at Waikato, but their defence held, and the home team was held scoreless.

Two minutes into the second half, Waikato flanker Samipeni Finau was sin-binned after a strong tackle on home first five-eighths Josh Jacomb, which was ruled to have included head contact. But his absence didn't help Taranaki's scoring, and it was Waikato fullback Tupaea Cook-Savage, who after a kick downfield by his rival Stephen Perofeta, received the ball and, from 43m out, landed a dropped goal to extend the lead to 15-0. That roused the home team, and with wing Kini Naholo twice among the players carrying the ball in a 16-phase play, Taranaki gave the ball to the backs, and Perofeta floated a long pass to Adam Lennox, who had moved from halfback to wing, scored out wide. Six minutes, Bradley Slater went over on the back of a lineout maul, with just over 20 minutes to play. Taranaki piled on the attack, but Waikato maintained their defensive intensity and claimed the semifinal berth.

Taranaki 14 (Adam Lennox, Bradley Slater tries; Stephen Perofeta con; Josh Jacomb con) Waikato 15 (Ollie Norris, Oli Mathis tries; Aaron Cruden con; Tepaea Cook-Savage dropped goal). HT: 0-12

Tasman 14 Canterbury 62 

Canterbury hit the road at Lansdowne Park in Blenheim, running as hard as they have all season to make their intentions clear from the outset. After eight minutes, they made their breakthrough after a decisive break by No8 Billy Harmon saw flanker Corey Kellow get the ball over the line for the first try. The momentum never let up, and four minutes later, halfback Mitch Drummond scored from a ruck, then quick hands matched by a great running angle by centre Braydon Ennor resulted in another try. On 30 minutes, more pressure and backline continuity saw set-up work by second five-eighths Dallas McLeoad, giving wing Nguntane Punivai an unchallenged run to the line. Finally, in the 36th minute, a move from a lineout out from Canterbury's line saw a move worked between hooker Quentin MacDonald and centre Levi Aumua that resulted in a try for Aumua. A Drummond kick ahead resulted in a try for flanker Tom Christie just before halftime, giving Canterbury an unassailable 33-7 lead.

The McLeod-Punivai combination produced the first try of the second half after four minutes, but from the restart, Tasman got a penalty and ran the ball with flanker Johnny Lee breaking the line and giving the ball to second five-eighths David Havili, who scored. But soon after David Havili's mistake in failing to kick a quick goal line drop out five metres gifted Canterbury a scrum and a try in the corner for fullback Chay Fihaki. Fifteen minutes from the end, replacement hooker Brodie McAlister scored at the back of a lineout maul then four minutes later, Harmon scored under the posts. After all that, a penalty in the last minute allowed Canterbury to complete a record win over their Crusaders neighbour.

Tasman 14 (Levi Aumua, David Havili tries; William Havili 2 con) Canterbury 62 (Corey Kellow, Mitch Drummond, Braydon Ennor, Nguntane Puivai 2, Tom Christie, Chay Fihaki, Brodie McAlister, Billy Harmon tries; Isaac Hutchinson 7 con, pen). HT: 7-33

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