Heart-Stopping Finishes Light Up Bunnings NPC Quarterfinal Weekend

Any doubts about whether the Bunnings NPC has lost any of its magic were dispelled during four thrilling quarterfinals over the weekend.

If anything, the games continued and surpassed the improved quality of play seen during the regular season.

The highest-placed qualifier, Canterbury, was forced to extra time to advance against the lowest qualifiers, Counties Manukau, while the second qualifier, Otago, needed an injury-time penalty goal from 45m to beat Waikato. Hawke's Bay retained its remarkable home record at Napier over Taranaki to win its game, while Bay of Plenty put paid to Tasman's threat in Tauranga.

This weekend's semifinals will see Otago host Bay of Plenty on Friday night, followed by Canterbury hosting Hawke's Bay 24 hours later.

Otago 44 Waikato 41

Otago's first five-eighths Cameron Millar is the highest points scorer in the Bunnings Cup this year, but none of his 137 points will be more valuable than the three he kicked from 45 metres out in injury time to secure a win over Waikato in Dunedin. In the 78th minute, Waikato scored a try and a conversion, suggesting they were pushing the game to extra time. But in a lucky break, Waikato was penalised for a high tackle and Millar delivered the coup de grâce. It came at the end of an extraordinary game in which 12 tries were scored. Otago opened the scoring when livewire halfback Dylan Pledger out-paced the defence to score from a kick ahead by fullback Sam Gilbert. Twelve minutes in, after an earlier penalty goal kicked by first five-eighths Aaron Cruden, a strong run by prop Mason Tupaea took play short of Otago's line, where a pass to wing Oli Mathis gave him enough room to score in the corner. In the 22nd minute, Waikato No8 Luke Jacobson helped himself to a turnover out from the Otago posts. Centre Bailyn Sullivan carried the play towards the line, where Jacobson was on hand in support to pass the ball to lock Samipeni Finau, who scored. However, in the 28th minute, Jacobson was sin-binned for a mauling infringement and Otago responded immediately with Millar cross-kicking for wing Jae Broomfield to score untroubled. Five minutes later, flanker Will Stodart crashed over to claim the lead and went to the break up 19-15.

Forty-five seconds into the second half, Pledger picked off an intercept 70m out and ran away to extend Otago's lead. Five minutes later, second five-eighths Thomas Umaga-Jensen raced into a wide gap to feed wing Jona Nareki, who linked with flanker Lucas Casey, who scored. But Waikato responded, courtesy of replacement midfielder Aki Tuivailala beating six Otago defenders in a side-stepping run that ended with fullback Tepaea Cook-Savage scoring. But, in the 57th minute, more Otago running play saw Gilbert score after a strong run to the line by lock Joseva Tamani. Fourteen minutes from the end, Waikato's replacement hooker Sean Ralph went over from a maul, but from the restart, a Waikato clearance was thrown in quickly to Gilbert, who slammed a dropped goal from 45m out. Then, in the 73rd minute, a Waikato tighthead saw Jacobson run off the back of the scrum and pass to replacement halfback Charlie Marsh, who cut back in to run in beneath the crossbar. In the 78th minute, Otago lost prop Ben Lopas to the sin-bin for head contact and from the penalty lineout, Ralph went over in another maul. Cook-Savage landed the conversion, and the scores were level at 41-41. But in responding to the restart with a long kick from second five-eighths Anton Lienert-Brown, Otago was able to run the ball back and secure what became their match-winning penalty goal chance.

Otago 44 (Dylan Pledger 2, Jae Broomfield, Will Stodart, Lucas Casey, Sam Gilbert tries; Cameron Millar 4 con, pen; Gilbert dropped goal) Waikato 41 (Oli Mathis, Samipeni Finau, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Sean Ralph 2, Charlie Marsh tries; Aaron Cruden con, pen; Cook-Savage 2 con). HT: 19-15

Bay of Plenty 27 Tasman 7

Tries in Tauranga might not have been as forthcoming as in Dunedin, but there was no lack of action in a first half that was keenly contested. Tasman wing Kyren Taumoefolau made a searching break after joining the backline from the blindside wing, but Tasman couldn't build on it. Then Bay of Plenty wing Fehin Fineanganofo made a strong burst, which, along with lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi, whose tap and run from a penalty was only stopped when he had a pass intercepted close to the line, resulted in Bay's first five-eighths Lucas Cashmore landing the first points, after 25 minutes, with a penalty goal. But in the 30th minute, fullback David Havili chipped ahead down the blindside to the in-goal, where Taumoefolau was able to score. Another Cashmore penalty goal pulled the margin back to 6-7 at halftime.

Taumoefolau made a strong run early in the second half for Tasman, but put a foot on the line, and in the 47th minute, the Bay unleashed their speed merchant on the right wing, Kele Lasaqa, who was on the end of a combined passing rush to score an outstanding team try, topped by a show of his speed. But they went even better in the 60th minute off a Tasman mistake in the Bay 22. The ball was captured and moved quickly by Cashmore, who passed to flanker Jacob Norris. He linked inside to Ah Kuoi before fullback Cole Forbes received the ball with Fineanganofo inside, and the wing cleared out to extend the lead. More punishment for Tasman came when Bay No8 Nikora Broughton picked the ball from a ruck and exploded into open country on a 65-metre run that ended just short of the line. But in stopping him, first five-eighths William Havili had played the ball off his feet at a second attempt, and he was sin-binned. A penalty try resulted from the scrum that followed to wrap up their semifinal place.

Bay of Plenty 27 (Kele Lasaqa, Fehi Finanganofo tries; Penalty try; Lucas Cashmore 2 con, 2 pen) Tasman 7 (Kyren Taumoefolau try; William Havili con). HT: 6-7

Hawke's Bay 26 Taranaki 12

Hawke's Bay's defence was tested from the outset by Taranaki in Napier, but the host team demonstrated its intent by holding back the amber and black tide with an outstanding show of defiance. Sadly for Taranaki, that effort was maintained throughout the contest. For all its traditional intensity, all Taranaki could glean was a 15th-minute penalty goal from first five-eighths Josh Jacomb. Once they got their hands on the ball, Hawke's Bay turned around its possession deficit and built from its encampment in Taranaki's half. Finally, after he was held up over the line earlier, second five-eighths Le Roux Malan took advantage of lead-up work from halfback Folau Fakatava and fullback Zarn Sullivan running the blindside, to score in the corner in the 27th minute. Taranaki wing Taniela Rakuro did cross the line after 32 minutes, but the try was scrubbed due to an earlier forward pass. Hawke's Bay used that to advantage two minutes later when taking play downfield, courtesy of input from wing Jonah Lowe, flanker Miracle Fai'ilagi, Malan and hooker Jacob Devery, with Fai'ilagi scoring. A 38th-minute Taranaki breakout went without reward when No8 Arese Poliko was ruled to have knocked on, grounding the ball. In the move, Fakatava was sin-binned after a shoulder-to-head incident on Jacomb, from which Jacomb landed a penalty goal.

Jacomb kicked his third penalty goal after a scrum penalty four minutes into the second half, then Hawke's Bay had a try denied to wing Neria Fomia after an earlier infringement. In the 51st minute, Taranaki lost flanker Kaylum Boshier to the sin-bin for a ruck infringement. Hawke's Bay gained a boost when a pass from first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie to Lowe was not referred upstairs. The Bay gained momentum, which led to McClutchie doubling round Malan on the other side of the field to score. Into the final quarter, another Jacomb penalty goal got Taranaki within seven points. In the 66th minute, the Bay got a crucial try through flanker Sam Smith off a ruck beside the posts, created through Fomia charging into the line from the blindside, and then Fakatava carrying the ball to the line. Hawke's Bay lost lock Isaac Walker-Leawere for a head-high tackle on Jacomb in the 71st minute. Taranaki had another possible try ruled out when Adam Lennox was ruled to have grounded the ball short of the line.

Hawke's Bay 26 (Le Roux Malan, Miracle Fai'ilagi, Lincoln McClutchie, Sam Smith tries; McClutchie 3 con) Taranaki 12 (Josh Jacomb 4 pen). HT:14-6

Canterbury 23 Counties Manukau 15

Counties Manukau are not known as the Steelers for nothing. They put on a display against Canterbury in Christchurch that belied their status as the lowest-placed team in the top eight. They played well enough to force their game into extra time in clear but windy conditions in Christchurch. Counties Manukau's strong start yielded only a penalty goal to second five-eighths Gibson Popoali'i, while Canterbury scored the first try in the 22nd minute as lock Jamie Hannah rewarded an intense period pounding the visitors' line by driving across from a ruck to score. But undeterred, Counties made the most of a box kick by Canterbury halfback Tyson Belworthy. It was fielded by wing Peniasi Malimali, who gave Popoali'i the ball inside him, and he was able to run in a try. Then, in the 30th minute, hooker Ioane Moananu went over from a lineout maul, created when first five-eighth Simon Peter-Toleofoa used the wind from his side of halfway to lob a kick into Canterbury's 22 for a 50:22 to create the lineout chance that resulted in Moananu's try.

Turning with the wind at their back, Canterbury faced a 10-point deficit that was reduced by wing Chay Fihaki landing a penalty goal. There was no let-up in intensity, with both sides having to handle a high tackle count and some direct running from the Canterbury pack before the ball was released to the back, saw second five-eighths Dallas McLeod weight a perfect pass for centre Braydon Ennor to run onto it and over for a try in the 51st minute. The scores remained locked at 15-15 until full-time, by which time both sides had made strong bids to claim a win, with Fihaki unsuccessfully attempting a 72 metre penalty goal with the wind at his back. Extra time was required, and it was Canterbury who utilised its possession best by continuing the forward assaults and eventually creating good ball for Fihaki to secure the only try of the extra period in the 88th minute. He added a 45m penalty goal in the 94th minute to secure the win.

Canterbury 23 (Jamie Hannah, Braydon Ennor, Chay Fihaki tries; Fihaki con 2 pen) Counties Manukau 15 (Gibson Popoali'i, Ioane Moananu tries; Popoali'i con, pen). HT: 5-15. FT: 15-15.