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Taranaki 19 Otago 30
First-five Josh Ioane has turned on a virtuoso performance, as Otago lifted the Ranfurly Shield off Taranaki with a comprehensive victory at Inglewood.
With a big first-half wind, the southerners - and specifically their one-test All Black - kept the holders pinned in their own half, enjoying a 76 percent territory advantage and running in three tries for a 22-5 lead at the break.
After the restart, Taranaki needed quick points to bridge the gap, but struggled for continuity. Tries to the Boshier brothers - Kaylum and Lachlan - closed the margin, but Ioane's try midway through the second half proved the dagger.
The Log O' Wood heads to Dunedin, where Hawke's Bay will challenge next week.
Meanwhile, Auckland have scored nine tries - three to first-five Simon Hickey and two to winger AJ Lam - to overwhelm Manawatū 53-12.
Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read scored a try for Counties Manukau, but couldn't steer them to their first win of the Mitre 10 Cup season, as Northland rallied late for a 24-15 victory at Pukekohe.
Otago 30 (Nel, Ioane, Coltman & Vahaakola tries; Ioane 2 conversions & 2 penalties) Taranaki 19 (K Boshier, L Boshier & Perofeta tries; Potroz & Waite conversions)
Auckland 53 (Hickey 3, Lam 2, Trainor, Gibson, Riedlinger-Kapa & Rayasi tries; Hickey 4 conversions) Manawatu 12 (Stewart & Boult tries; Cruden conversion)
Northland 24 (Leilua, Mayanavanua & Olsen try; Hawkins 3 conversions & penalty) Counties Manukau 15 (Motuga & Read tries; Kerr conversion & penalty)
40th minute: Taranaki have one last chance to score, but the final pass goes behind Ormond. It wouldn't have been enough anyway.
Time expires as the scrum sets. Hammington feeds and kicks to touch for the win. Good news for Hawke's Bay, who visit Dunedin next week to challenge for the Log O' Wood.
At Eden Park, Auckland have runout convincing 53-12 winners over Manawatu.
38th minute: Otago penalised at the scrum and Waite finds touch inside the 22, but Riccatelli's throw is not straight - that's a killer blow for Taranaki.
36th minute: Ioane's kickoff goes dead, so Taranaki have a scrum on halfway with time ticking down.
35th minute: TRY to Lachlan Boshier
Taranaki on attack and the ball is bobbling around, Boshier latches onto it and scores. Fraser confirms a knock-on from Otago, so try stands and Waite converts.
34th minute: Taranaki on attack and Wainui throws a long, flat pass towards Kneepkens, almost picked off by Koroi, who can't quite gather it.
At Eden Park, Trainor scores, Hickey converts - Auckland 50-5.
32nd minute: Taranaki penalised for offside in their own half and Ioane points to the posts. He slots it and that may be the nail in the coffin for Tarnaki's shield tenure.
At Eden Park, Blake Gibson scores for Auckland, Hickey converts - Auckland 43-5.
29th minute: Taranaki still pinned in their own half and can't find any way through Otago defence to break out.
27th minute: Taranaki win a lineout in their own half, but their attempt to counterattack is muddled. Waite, on for Potroz, eventually clears to halfway.
26th minute: Taranaki forwards are launching an attack, but support players drive in from an angle and Otago have a relieving penalty.
24th minute: Kneepkens chips through and regathers, but Otago turn the ball over and kick deep into Taranaki half.
23rd minute: Otago win a defensive scrum near their own line and Ioane clears to halfway.
22nd minute: Taranaki forward rumble towards the posts, but they knock on and let Otago off the hook.
At Eden Park, Lam runs onto a nice kick through from Ruru to score his second try of the day - Auckland 36-5.
20th minute: From the kickoff, Taranaki are on attack and playing under advantage. Fraser brings them back for Otago offside, right in front of the posts - Taranaki call for a scrum.
18th minute: TRY to Ioane
Hammington feeds into another attacking scrum. Nareki charges towards the line, the Otago forwards hammer away and when the ball is released, Ioane finds a gap to score.
Ioane misses the conversion, but that try will make the task of defending the Shield difficult for Taranaki.
16th minute: Otago push Taranaki back in a five-metre scrum - they're playing under advantage and Ioane's crossfield kick goes into touch.
Fraser comes back for the penalty.
15th minute: Otago on attack and move the ball left, where McDowell charges over the line, but is held up in a two-man tackle.
13th minute: Otago win an attacking lineout and Nel charges towards the 22. Collins kicks towards corner and Kneepkens scrambles to cover the rolling ball, dragging a foot in touch.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu enters the game for Auckland at Eden Park.
12th minute: Milo-Harris puts a high kick into Otago territory, but Taranaki are penalised at the breakdown.
Taranaki captain Walden is down injured, a cart is dispatched, but he's helped off - looks like an Achilles.
Ninth minute: TRY to Kaylum Boshier
Boshier wins the lineout, but the Otago forwards do a great job of driving their counterparts back.
Taranaki forwards come again, Vaa'i is dragged down short, but Kaylum Boshier is over. Fraser reviews for a knock-on, but there's no evidence to deny the try.
Potroz swings his conversion with the wind, between the posts.
Seventh minute: Otago penalised for tackling in the air during a lineout, Potroz kicks to the corner.
Sixth minute: From a midfield scrum, Potroz kicks along the ground for a lineout inside the 22.
At Eden Park, Hickey has his second try of the day, but misses his conversion - Auckland 31-5.
Fourth minute: Potroz clears more than 50 metres and the Otago response goes out on the full, so Taranaki have an attacking lineout.
Third minute: Coltman feeds an attacking lineout, but Fraser rules the throw wasn't straight.
First minute: Otago are 40 minutes away from lifting the Log O' Wood, but Taranaki will have advantage of a big wind in the second half.
Ioane kicks off, but Perofeta clears deep into Otago half.
Halftime
Taranaki (Perofeta try) Otago (Nel, Coltman & Vahaakola tries; Ioane 2 conversions & penalty)
38th minute: TRY to Coltman
From the lineout, Otago forward maul to the line and the hooker, who went to school locally at Francis Douglas College, is over. Ioane converts and the Otago advantage is extended just before halftime.
At Eden Park, Selesi Rayasi scores another try for Auckland and Hickey converts from near the left touch - Auckland 26-5.
37th minute: Otago have had 76 percent territory advantage in this first half and Hammington leads another raide down the left. When Potroz clears, Fraser brings Otago back for a penalty advantage and Ioane finds the corner again.
33rd minute: TRY to Vahaakola
Taranaki forwards drive the Otago maul back, but when the ball moves right, Koroi creates an overlap for his winger to score in the corner. Ioane slots a magnificent conversion from the sideline.
At Eden Park, Hickey scores wide out and converts from near touch, Auckland 19-5.
32nd minute: From the lineout, Nareki tries to find a path to the goal-line, but Vaa'i is penalised for bumping an opponent in the air. Ioane kicks for another lineout.
31st minute: Ioane puts up a high kick and Potroz claims a fair catch, sprawling across the turf.
Referee Fraser is reviewing a late charge from prop Profitt, who was trying to charge the ball down and took out the kicker late. Otago earn a penalty and Ioane kicks to the corner.
29th minute: Otago steal the ball from an untidy Tarananki scum in their own half, but the defenders hold up Otago forwards in the maul to regain possession.
27th minute: Taranaki venture into Otago territory and Wainui makes a promising break, but turns the ball over. Otago kick deep again.
At Eden Park, the Auckland scrum overpower their short-handed counterparts and No.8 Reidlinger-Kapa charges off the back to score. Hickey converts and Auckland lead 12-5.
24th minute: Otago mount an attack down the right, but Koroi can't take a return pass from his winger and another chance is squandered.
22nd minute: Otago continue to camp in the Taranaki 22, while Manawatu wing Adam Boult has scored an acrobatic try in the corner to level scores at Eden Park - Manwatu 5 Auckland 5.
20th minute: From the scrum, Otago move left and Ioane runs an angle towards the line. Lachlan Boshier meets in a telling tackle and then appears to rip the ball clear to deny the try.
Meanwhile at Eden Park, Manawatu are now down two men, with prop Tuimauga joining Paulo in the sin bin.
17th minute: At Inglewood, Wainui fields a grubber kick behind his own goal-line and can't quite make the field of play. Otago have an attacking five-metre scrum under the posts.
12th minute: TRY to Perofeta
From the kickoff, Taranaki are hot on attack and playing under advantage, but the ball goes left and Perofeta waltzes over with no defender within 10m.
Potroz muffs his conversion.
Meanwhile at Eden Park, Manawatu is down to 14 men, after lock Paulo is sinbinned for a shoulder tackle on Auckland fullback Trainor. AJ Lam takes advantage to open the scoring with a try, Hickey's conversion hits the upright - Auckland 5-0.
Ninth minute: TRY to Nel
Ioane grubbers behind Kneepkens, who has to take the ball into touch metres from the goal-line.
Otago win the lineout and the No.8 is at the back of the maul to dive over. Ioane's conversion hooks away.
Eighth minute: Otago playing a territory game, using that wind to pin Taranaki in their own half. They'll need to be careful - a long kick from Ioane threatened to dribble dead, but just held up before the line.
Sixth minute: Waldon is tied up in a tackle and penalised for not releasing, gifting Ioane first opportunity to open the scoring. He slots the shot at goal and the visitors lead 3-0.
Fourth minute: Josh Ioane puts up a high kick to test Perofeta, but the Taranaki fullback is safe underneath.
Third minute: Otago lining up an unusual backline formation for the first lineout of the game, but Taranaki secure the throw and we'll never know what the challengers had planned.
Otago playing with the strong breeze and that may have contributed to their lineout difficulties.
First minute: Conditions look pretty bleak in Inglewood, with a blustery wind, perhaps part of the storm passing over New Zealand this weekend.
*****
Both Taranaki and Auckland have All Blacks released for these fixtures, with locks Tupou Vaa'i and Patrick Tuipulotu logging extra game time in preparation for next month's Bledisloe Cup series against Australia.
Mike Fraser will blow the whistle in the Shield defence this afternoon, with Taranaki kicking off.
*****
First up this afternoon, we have a doubleheader, with Taranaki hosting Otago and Auckland facing Manawatū.
We'll bring you live updates of the Ranfurly Shield match at Inglewood, but keep an eye on the Eden Park clash for score updates.
Here's how they line up for the Shield game...
Taranaki: 1-Jared Proffit, 2-Bradley Slater, 3-Reuben O'Neill, 4-Josh Lord, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Mitchell Crosswell, 7-Lachlan Boshier, 8-Kaylum Boshier, 9-Lisati Milo-Harris, 10-Jayson Potroz, 11-Lewis Ormand, 12-Tei Walden, 13-Sean Wainui, 14-Jacob Raumaitayuki-Kneepkens, 15-Stephen Perofeta
Reserves: 16-Ricky Riccitelli, 17-Chris Gawler, 18-Donald Brighouse, 19-Findlamor Hoeata, 20-Tom Florence, 21-Kylem O'Donnell, 22-Daniel Waite, 23-Brayton Northcott-Hill
Otago: 1-George Bower, 2-Liam Coltman, 3-Josh Hohneck, 4-Jack Regan, 5-Will Tucker, 6-Charles Eaton, 7-Slade McDowall, 8-Dylan Nel, 9-Kayne Hammngton, 10-Josh Ioane, 11-Jona Nareki, 12-Aleki Morris-Lome, 13-Michael Collins, 14-Freedom Vahaakolo, 15-Vilimoni Koroi
Reserves: 16-Ricky Jackson, 17-Jonah Aoina, 18-Yoshihisa Sasagi, 19-Josh Hill, 20-Nasi Manu, 21-James Ascott, 22-Josh Timu, 23-Mitchell Scott.
And the Auckland v Manawatū teams will look like this...
Auckland: 1-Jarred Adams, 2-Leni Apisai, 3-Angus Ta'aavao, 4-Scott Scrafton, 5-Jack Whetton, 6-Adrian Choat, 7-Blake Gibson, 8-Waimana Reidlinger-Kapa, 9-Taufa Funaki, 10-Simon Hickey, 11-Salesi Rayasi, 12-TJ Faiane, 13-Tumua Manu, 14-AJ Lam, 15-Jordan Trainor
Reserves: 16-Mike Sosene-Feagai, 17-Marcel Renata, 18-James Lay, 19-Patrick Tuipulotu, 20-Sione Tuipulotu, 21-Jonathan Ruru, 22-Harry Plummer, 23-Zarn Sullivan
Manawatū: 1-Tietie Tuimauga, 2-Siua Maile, 3-Mike Alaalatoa, 4-Liam Mitchell, 5-Tefilo Paulo, 6-Tyler Laubscher, 7-Shamus Hurley-Langton, 8-Brayden Iose, 9-Jamie Booth (c), 10-Stewart Cruden, 11-Adam Boult, 12-James Tofa, 13-Nigel Ah Wong, 14-Newton Tudreu, 15-Nehe Milner-Skudder
Reserves: 16-Sam Stewart, 17-Chris Eves, 18-Kyle Stewart, 19-Sam Liebezeit, 20-Micaiah Torrance-Read, 21-Bryn Wilson, 22-Ben Wyness, 23-Te Rangtira Waitokia
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to live updates of Sunday's round three Mitre 10 Cup clashes, with games taking place in Inglewood, Auckland and Pukekohe.
At 2:05pm, Taranaki puts the Ranfurly Shield on the line against Otago, while Auckland face Manawatū at the same time at Eden Park.
At 4:35pm, Kieran Read and Counties Manukau search for their first win of the season against Northland.
For full team lists, click here.
