NZ Domestic Rugby 2021

[Dan54]

Well bugger me!! 33 all at fulltime thanks to last minute goal for HB, so golden point for Shield and NPC points!!

 

[Dan54]

Penalty in front of posts for HB after 3 minutes!

 

[Dan54]

HB hold it, so Tasman gets a challenge and Naki doesn't!!
F*** me that was a good game to watch!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Most times Ash Dixon comes off with 20-25 to go, no way was that happening today! The look on Sam Cane's face at FT was another good indication that the Shield still matters to the players at least as much as to the fans.

Edit: the fact that HB have won, defended & lost the Shield a few times in recent years/ careers gives them a distinct advantage v Mako imo, most of those guys will never have played in a Shield match & won't know what to expect. Could be the classic case of needing to lose one in order to learn what it takes to win one.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Highlights

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Bunnings NPC Week Four
Friday 24th September	7:05pm	Tasman v Waikato	Trafalgar Park
Saturday 25th September	2:05pm	Manawatū v Northland	Central Energy Trust Arena
Saturday 25th September	4:05pm	Southland v Canterbury	Rugby Park
Sunday 26th September	2:05pm	Wellington v Hawke's Bay	Sky Stadium
Sunday 26th September	4:35pm	Bay of Plenty v Taranaki	Tauranga Domain
Bunnings NPC Week Five
Friday 1st October	7:05pm	Northland v Waikato	Semenoff Stadium
Saturday 2nd October	2:05pm	Bay of Plenty v Wellington	Rotorua International Stadium
Saturday 2nd October	4:35pm	Manawatū v Otago	Central Energy Trust Arena
Sunday 3rd October	2:05pm	Tasman v Southland	Lansdowne Park
Bunnings NPC Week Six
Friday 8th October	7:05pm	Wellington v Canterbury	Sky Stadium
Saturday 9th October	4:35pm	Hawke's Bay v Tasman (RS)	McLean Park
Saturday 9th October	7:05pm	Otago v Taranaki	Forsyth Barr Stadium
Sunday 10th October	2:05pm	Southland v Manawatū

Auckland won't come out of soft lockdown until at least 5/10 so you'd think the earliest Harbour, Auckland & Counties could rejoin the comp would be Week Eight at which point they'll have to play two games every week to make up what they've missed. That's tough schedule & the odds on those three pulling out (as their Farah Palmer Cup teams did over the weekend albeit with only one Round remaining until the playoffs) must now be pretty short.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Highlights of Mako's rather brutal reality check:

Hoping for rematch in the GF here in the 'tron & that we're in Level 1 by then.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Happy homecoming for Nugget*:

* with the exception of ~53:15 on the match clock .

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

New chapter in the Legend of Marty Banks about to be written?

Nah, clearly not a legendary enough moment, probably waiting for 9:59 in extra time

Edit: still adds to the legend, I s'pose, just not in a good way.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Heartland results:

East Coast 19-35 Thames Valley
Horowhenua-Kapiti 25-17 North Otago - the victory procession continues
King Country 17-34 West Coast
Mid Canterbury 24-17 Whanganui - big result, that.
Poverty Bay 76-14 Buller
South Canterbury 61-17 Wairarapa Bush

South Canterbury and Thames Valley sit atop Heartland Championship table

Mid Canterbury provided an early thrill in the Bunnings Heartland Championship when picking off Whanganui 24-17 in Ashburton on Saturday.

www.provincial.rugby

Mighty 'nua & Mid Cantabs also unbeaten at this early stage.

Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship

www.provincial.rugby

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

The Bay continue on their winning way:

The Other Bay currently struggling v 'naki.

 

[Dan54]

Heartland results:

East Coast 19-35 Thames Valley
Horowhenua-Kapiti 25-17 North Otago - the victory procession continues
King Country 17-34 West Coast
Mid Canterbury 24-17 Whanganui - big result, that.
Poverty Bay 76-14 Buller
South Canterbury 61-17 Wairarapa Bush

South Canterbury and Thames Valley sit atop Heartland Championship table

Mid Canterbury provided an early thrill in the Bunnings Heartland Championship when picking off Whanganui 24-17 in Ashburton on Saturday.

www.provincial.rugby

Mighty 'nua & Mid Cantabs also unbeaten at this early stage.

The mighty Nua machine rolls on!!

Geez watched both games today (surprise) Bay were class above Wellington!
And the Naki were 2 classes above BOP, by geez talk about a game played at 150kmh!! Was a ripper (actually you couldn't get more of an opposite game to last night's tests)

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Bunnings NPC Standings

www.provincial.rugby

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

NZR's second request that Govt allow NH, Auk & C-M to relocate out of Aux has been refused but they're allowed to resume aerobic training in groups of ten at 30-minute intervals - no passing drills & certainly no contact allowed. It's a start I s'pose but not much of one.

Auckland NPC teams granted permission to resume supervised training

Auckland, Counties Manukau and North Harbour can resume limited training sessions, but their return to the competition remains up in air.

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

What a topsy-turvy comp this is: last week Mooloos demolished the back-to-back Premiers, this week they get rolled by a Championship struggler.

Great way for Rene Ranger to celebrate his 100th, bloke looks like he could play til he's 40.

Mooloos still top of the Prem but Magpies, Mako & Cantabs can all catch or overtake them this week or next.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Looks like ''twas a thriller in RotoVegas this arvo:

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I think the latest Covid developments incl the insane anti-lockdown rally today will result in Harbour, Auckland & Counties-Manukau being withdrawn from the NPC & the results from Weeks 1 & 2 disregarded. If that does in fact happen it'll cost Manawatu the five points they got v C-M in Week 1 & Tasman their four v Auk in Week 2. Not sure how that will impact promotion-relegation but you couldn't really relegate Auckland (as fun as that would be) but nor could you deny probably Taranaki a shot at the big-time so it might be that the team finishing sixth in the Prem goes down & currently that's Wellington.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Heartland Week 3 results:

Horowhenua-Kapiti 38-31 East Coast
Mid Cant'y 20-32 North Otago
South Cant'y 72-0 King Country
Thames Valley 30-15 Buller
Whanganui 22-18 Wairarapa Bush
Poverty Bay 34-20 West Coast

South Canterbury and Thames Valley set the pace in Heartland Championship

South Canterbury and Thames Valley continue to set the pace in Bunnings Heartland Championship rugby after round three on Saturday.

www.provincial.rugby

Currently watching highlights of Mighty 'nua destroying North Otago last week. Just give them the Cup already

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Turbos getting the job done again:

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Luckily Mooloos have a bye next week so North Waikato going into Level 3 lockdown won't further affect the NPC unless it extends beyond the initial five days. Can't see how Waikato can contest the Farah Palmer Cup Final v Cantabs next Saturday, though, unless they get the team on a bus this arvo & relocate for the week.