Mitre 10 cup Sunday results:
Bay of Plenty bt Hawke's Bay 22-17
Manawatu bt Southland 24-12
Counties Manukau bt Taranaki 31-27
Fulltime - In his final game in New Zealand before he moves back to Japan, former All Blacks captain Kieran Read provided two crucial turnovers to win the game for his Counties side.
With five minutes remaining, Kieran Read won a breakdown penalty that gave the Steelers an opportunity to attack. Etene Nanai-Seturo made a great run to storm through the Taranaki defence to crash over under the posts and put Counties back in front.
In added time with Taranaki looking dangerous on the attack inside Counties 22, Read made a try saving tackle to stop a rampaging Lukas Hall.
After eight minutes of added time and Counties down to 14 players, Read won the crucial breakdown turnover in what was his final action in New Zealand rugby to seal the win for his side.
The result means Counties moved back in front of Manawatu who had earlier leapfrogged them.
In other results on an action-packed Sunday of Mitre 10 cup rugby. Bay of Plenty held on against Hawke's Bay 22-17 to win the 'Battle of the Bay'. The result means the Steamers move to fifth in the Premiership and drops Canterbury into the relegation zone.
Manawatu got their first win of the season with a 24-12 victory over Southland. They moved off the bottom of the Championship table for a few hours before Counties overtook them with their victory.
87 min - Taranaki are building their attack nicely but after 6 phases the man of the moment in his final game in New Zealand, Kieran Read wins the breakdown penalty to give his side the victory.
85 min - Taranaki take another scrum, and go wide through Potroz who is just 7m short. After 17 phases and six minutes of overtime Counties give away a penalty and Taranaki goes quickly.
84 min - Yellow card Counties Manukau: Conan O’Donnell - Taranaki decide to take another scrum and again dominate it and win a penalty and the refs seen enough and sent Conan O’Donnell to the sin bin.
83 min - Taranaki dominates the scrum and are attacking under advantage. The attack comes to nothing but ref comes back for the scrum penalty.
80 min - Taranaki are looking dangerous through runs from Perofeta and Wainui but the attack comes to nothing. The ref comes back for an offside penalty. Taranaki chooses to take the scrum.
79 min - Taranaki wins a scrum against the feed and attack again. They use the forwards before they win a penalty. They choose to take a scrum with 30 seconds remaining.
78 min - Taranaki are hot on the attack through Lukas Halls breaks into the 22 but the man playing his final game in New Zealand, Kieran Read makes a crucial tackle.
76 min - Try Counties Manukau: Etene Nanai-Seturo - The Steelers are on the attack, which all started from a Kieran Read turnover. Etene Nanai-Seturo makes a great run to storm through the Taranaki defence to crash over under the posts and put Counties back in front. Robertson converts the try. CM 31-27
74 min - The Steelers are building their attack on Taranaki's 10m line. After 9 phases Etene Nanai-Seturo throws a pass to no one and it goes into touch.
71 min - Counties attaking straight from the kickoff and Kalione Hala makes a great run into the 22 but his offload goes forward. Scrum Taranaki on the 22m line.
68 min - Penalty goal Taranaki: Jayson Potroz -Taranaki is building their attack about 35m out from the Counties line and they win a breakdown penalty. Potroz will have a shot and try to give the home side the lead. He slots it over. TAR 27-24
64 min - Try Taranaki: Sean Wainui - A great team try from Taranaki. They work some lovely offloads to send Lahmert away down the sideline before he throws a miracle offload to Lochlan Boshier, who inturn slips it for Wainui who dots down by the sticks. Ptroz converts the try and we are all level. 24-24
61 min - Counties attacking well with two strong runs from Zuriel Togiatama and the Steelers are inside the Taranaki 22. After 12 phases Taranaki wins a breakdown penalty.
59 min - From a lineout on Counties 22, Taranaki set lineout drive and get 7m out. A pass to Wawrick Lahmert is behind him and goes to ground and the Steelers will clear down to just short of the 10m line.
57 min - Taranaki is looking strong with ball in hand with a determined run through Brown and Crosswell before winning a penalty for a deliberate knock-on from Read.
53 min - Try Taranaki: Mitchell Crosswell - Taranaki have a lineout just 5m out as they look to strike back. They set a lineout maul and Mitchell Crosswell ends up with it and he shows great strength to barge his way over. Potroz can't convert the try. CM 24-17
49 min - Try Counties Manukau: Kirisi Kuridrania - Two tries in two minutes for the Steelers who are on fire.
Referee Munro awards a free kick for an early engage, so Read taps and goes. He carries strongly up to the ten, before the other forwards get to work. Motuga carries strong, twice in the movement, before Nanai-Seturo is given it. He breaks through a couple of tackles, before offloading on the outside for Kuridrani who runs around to score under the sticks. Robertson converts the try. CM 24-12
47 min - Try Counties Manukau: Jonathan Taumateine - From a scrum, which Counties have dominated. Kieran Read picks up from the back of the scrum and offloads in contact to Jonathan Taumateine who crashes over. Robertson converts the try. CM 17-12
45 min - From a lineout on Taranaki's 22, the Steelers are building their attack and are just 6m out. Potu Leavasa has gone close and the referee has gone upstairs to have a look.
The TMO has ruled Leavasa is short and Counties will have a scrum 5m out.
42 min - Counties start the second half strongly with Viliame Taulani make a great run down to Taranaki's 10m line. On the next phase, the Steelers knock on.
Second half underway ... Taranaki kicks off.
HALFTIME - A real arm-wrestle in Inglewood has seen Taranaki go into the sheds with a two point lead. The standout moment come when Lewis Ormond finished acrobatically with all of his body out of the field of play.
40 min - Perofeta's kickoff goes out on the full, which gives Counties a scrum on halfway as the siren goes. Nothing comes of their final play and that will be halftime.
39 min - Penalty goal Counties Manukau: Jason Robertson - Counties win breakdown penalty just inside Taranaki's half. Robertson will have a shot from about 45m out. He slots it down the middle. TAR 12-10
36 min - Try Taranaki: Lewis Ormond - Mitchell Brown makes a strong run to get inside the 22. From the next phase, Lewis Ormond breaks down the wing and he finishes acrobatically in the corner. Potroz misses the conversion from out wide. TAR 12-7
34 min - Try Counties Manukau: Jason Robertson - A great counter attacking try for the Steelers. Slade makes a strong run before he offloads to Kieran Read who draws his man and gives it to Robertson to score. Robertson converts his own try. 7-7
32 min - With the Steelers attacking the Taranaki line just inches short, the home side do well to keep the ball in the ruck to give them a scrum.
31 min - Counties win a breakdown turnover before Laulala puts in a great touch finder and gives Taranaki a defensive lineout just 20m out. From the lineout, Taranaki fail to throw ball straight.
28 min - Taranaki building their attack nicely before making a knock on just short of the line after 7 phases.
27 min - Taranaki are attacking inside the Steelers 22 and win breakdown penalty. Perofeta goes for touch. Taranaki lineout just 5m out.
24 min - Taranaki is building attack strongly and after 10 phases they get inside the Steelers 22. Taranaki is hot on the attack just 7m out, but Counties win breakdown penalty.
21 min - Lisati Milo-Harris puts in a perfect grubber kick and forces Counties into a defensive lineout just 5m out.
19 min - TRY Taranaki: Stephen Perofeta - A scrappy piece of play is finished strong by Perofeta. The Taranaki first-five picks up the loose ball fends off a defender then uses his speed to score. Potroz converts the try. TAR 7-0
17 min - With the Steelers on the attack inside Taranaki's 22, they lose control of the ball and Taranaki will counter attack. From a ruck, Taranaki wins a breakdown penalty.
Perofeta goes for touch and can't find it but Laulala knocks on trying to keep it in.
15 min - The Steelers win a penalty for a high tackle on Kieran Read who is playing his final game of the season.
12 min - Counties starting to control territory. The Steelers go wide to Sione Fifita who uses his pace to get in behind the defence but Sean Wainui comes across to make a try saving tackle.
9 min - Ricky Riccitelli works a short lineout and breaks down to the 22. After five phases Taranaki gives away breakdown penalty through Jayson Potroz.
7 min - The Steelers start their attack around the 10m line but give away breakdown penalty. Taranaki go for touch.
From the lineout, Counties turn it over again.
4 min - From a lineout, Taranaki maul down the field and get just short of the 22 but the Steelers defend it well to win the ball back.
2 min - Counties make a good start with Jason Robertson making a strong run down to just short of Taranaki's 22. At the breakdown, the Steelers win a breakdown penalty.
KICKOFF - We are underway.
4:33pm - It's a beautiful day in Inglewood. Let's hope for some attacking rugby.
Kia ora, folks, and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of this Ranfurly Shield and Mitre 10 Cup clash between Taranaki and Counties Manukau.
Updates will begin from 4:35pm.
TET Stadium is the venue for today’s Championship clash between fourth placed Taranaki and last placed Steelers.
Taranaki are looking to bounce back after a tight loss to Waikato last time out while Counties are looking to bounce back after being thrashed by Wellington last week.
Taranaki head coach Willie Rickards has made three changes to the starting 15 which narrowly lost 27-20 to Premiership leaders Waikato last week.
Veteran prop Ben May returns from suspension, with Reuben O’Neill moving to loosehead, while captain Mitchell Brown switches from the second row to blindside flanker in place of Mitchell Crosswell who drops to the bench. Brown’s move sees the return of lock Findlamor Hoeata to the starting side to partner teenager Josh Lord.
The backline remains largely the same from seven days ago, the exception coming on the left wing where Southern’s Lewis Ormond replaces Codey Rei. Fullback Jayson Potroz will play his 20th and blazer game.
Skipper Orbyn Leger returns to the team, while Kieran Read will play his final match with the side.
Leger has been named at second-five and will captain the team again after missing last week due to niggling issues.
Read, who deputised as captain last week, will play his final game for the Union before heading back to Japan to continue his career with Toyota Verblitz.
TAB: Taranaki $1.16 Counties Manukau $4.85
Taranaki: 1-Reuben O'Neill, 2-Ricky Riccitelli, 3-Ben May, 4-Josh Lord, 5-Findlamor Hoeata, 6-Mitchell Brown (c), 7-Lachlan Boshier, 8-Kaylum Boshier, 9-Lisati Milo-Harris, 10-Stephen Perofeta, 11-Lewis Ormond, 12-Brayton Northcott-Hill, 13-Sean Wainui, 14-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 15-Jayson Potroz
Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Jared Proffit, 18-Donald Brighouse, 19-Mitchell Crosswell, 20-Tom Florence, 21-Wawrick Lahmert, 22-Codey Rei, 23-Lukas Halls
Counties: 1-Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2-Donald Maka, 3-Suetena Asomua, 4-Sam Slade, 5-Matiaha Martin, 6-Viliame Taulani, 7-Alamanda Motuga, 8-Kieran Read, 9-Jonathan Taumateine, 10-Jason Robertson, 11-Sione Fifita, 12-Orbyn Leger, 13-Nikolai Foliaki, 14-Kirisi Kuridrania, 15-Luteru Laulala
Reserves: 16-Zuriel Togiatama, 17-Conan O’Donnell, 18-Clinton Malolua, 19-Potu Leavasa, 20-Jonathan Kawau, 21-Cameron Roigard, 22-Kalione Hala, 23-Etene Nanai-Seturo
4:00pm - Join us at 4:35pm for live coverage of Taranaki taking on Counties Manukau.
3:52pm - Fulltime in both games, with the Steamers holding on to put them into fifth position in the premiership and move Canterbury into the relegation zone. In the other game, Manawatu picked up their first win of the season.
BOP v HBY 79 mins - Yellow card: Ross Geldenhuys - Geldenhuys is sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements.
MAN v SOU: 74 mins -Try Manawatu: Ben Wyness - Manawatu scores out of nothing. Va'atausili crashes the ball into midfield. Wyness tripped the ball while making the tackle. There was no one around him to got back to his feet and ran 50m to score. Wyness convert his own try. MAN 24-12
BOP v HBY: 65 mins - Try Bay of Plenty: Kaleb Trask - After an overthrow from Hawke's Bay, the Steamers start their attack in midfield. They go wide to Trask who runs a great line to get through the Magpies defence to go over. Trask converts the try. BOP 22-17
BOP v HBY: 56 mins - Yellow card Hawke's Bay: Jonah Lowe - Fakatava puts it high and Lowe takes out Narawa as he is trying to catch the ball.
MAN v SOU: 55 mins - Try Southland: Greg Pleasants-Tate - From a lineout just 5m out. Southland set up a drive and it rolls over the line and Pleasants-Tate crashed over to score. Eade misses the conversion from out wide. MAN 17-12
52mins - No change to the score at either venue.
3:02pm - Back underway for the second half in both games.
2:53pm - Half-time in both of our early games.
BOP v HBY: 35mins - Try Bay of Plenty: Emoni Narawa - Intercept try for the Steamers. All-or-nothing play from Narawa and it pays off. He reels in a long pass from Makene and races 85m to score. HBY 17-15
MAN v SOU: 33mins - Try Manawatu: Nigel Ah Wong - Another try for the Turbos. 12 phases and they finally make Southland pay. Maraku throws a long pass out to Ah Wong on the right wing, he beats one defender and scores in the corner. MAN 17-7
BOB v HBY: 28mins - Try Hawke's Bay: Ash Dixon - Perfect set piece from the Magpies. Lineout 10m out and the maul is rolling .... they crash over the line and the referee says try. Ash Dixon pops up last with ball in hand. HBY 17-8
MAN v SOU: 28mins -Try Manawatu: Te Rangatira Waitokia - Milner-Skudder makes up for his defensive lapse. He opos a lovely pass close to the line tp Waitokia who floats through a hole in the defence and crashes over for the Turbos. MAN 12-7
MAN v SOU: 23mins - Try Southland: Logan Crowley - Superb solo effort. Ball comes off the top of the lineout to Crowley who scoots down the short side...brushes off a couple of poor tackles and runs away to score. Milner-Skudder will be dissapointed with his defensive effort there. 7-7
BOB v HBY: 18mins - Try Hawke's Bay: Jonah Lowe - Out of nothing really. Kick and chase by Makene and Lowe comes out of nowhere to collect and race away to score. HBY 12-8
MAN v SOU: 16mins - Try Manawatu: Liam Mitchell - The Turbos strike first. Wilson pops a pass to a storming Mitchell who brrakls a couple of tackles and runs around to score. MAN 7-0
BOB v HBY:15mins - Yellow card Bay of Plenty: Jordan Lay is marched for a professional foul..taking out a player off the ball and will sit for 10mins.
BOB v HBY: 13mins - Penalty goal Bay of Plenty: Trask lands from a habdy angle, just to the right of the posts from about 30m. BOP 8-5
BOB v HBY: 6mins - Try Bay of Plenty: Kaleb Trask - Right from the restart pretty much ... Trask sights a gap 30m out and gasses the defence to run away and score a great try. 5-5
BOP v HBY: 3mins - Try Hawke's Bay: Lolagi Visinia - Makene puts through a grubber kick 15m out .... Visinia has to stop his run to collect, but he does well, regathers the ball and beats the fullback to open the scoring. HBY 5-0
2:05pm - Kickoff in both of the early games - great weather at both venues so we should get some great rugby today.
Manawatū v Southland
2:05pm, Manfield, Fielding
Manawatū: 1-Tietie Tuimauga, 2-Sam Stewart, 3-Michael Alaalatoa, 4-Liam Mitchell, 5-Tom Hughes, 6-TK Howden, 7-Shamus Hurley-Langton, 8-Kirk Tufuga, 9-Bryn Wilson, 10-Ben Wyness, 11-Te Rangatira Waitokia, 12-James Tofa, 13-Josiah Maraku, 14-Nigel Ah Wong, 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder (c)
Reserves: 16-Gene Syminton, 17-Solomona Sakalia, 18-Kyle Stewart, 19-Micaiah Torrance-Read, 20-Johnny Galloway, 21-Griffin Culver, 22-Drew Wild, 23-Adam Boult.
Southland: 1-Ethan De Groot, 2-Greg Pleasants-Tate, 3-Siate Tokolahi, 4-Craig Smith, 5-Mike McKee, 6-Charles Alaimalo, 7-Matthew James, 8-Tony Lamborn (c), 9-Logan Crowley, 10-Scott Eade, 11-Kieran Lee, 12-Raymond Nu’u, 13-Isaac Te Tamaki, 14-Tevita Latu, 15-Matthew McKenzie
Reserves: 16 Sabastian Siataga, 17 Joseph Walsh, 18 Chris Apoua, 19 Joe Robins, 20 Nathan Va’atausili, 21 Liam Howley, 22 Brad Armstrong, 23 Jaye Thompson.
Bay of Plenty v Hawke's Bay
2:05pm, Tauranga Domain, Tauranga
Bay of Plenty: 1-Jordan Lay, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Jeff Thwaites, 4-Stan Van Den Hoven, 5-Kane Le'auppe, 6-Joe Johnston, 7-Mitchell Karpik, 8-Sam Dickson, 9-Luke Campbell, 10-Otere Black (c), 11-Joe Webber, 12-Chase Tiatia, 13-Matthew Skipwith-Garland, 14-Emoni Narawa, 15- Kaleb Trask
Reserves: 16-Nathan Vella, 17-Tevita Mafileo, 18-Ross Geldenhuys, 19-Scott Curry, 20-Zane Kapeli, 21-Leroy Carter, 22-Dan Hollinshead, 23-Cole Forbes
Hawke's Bay: 1-Rakete-Stones, 2-Eklund, 3-Waa, 4-Walker-Leawere, 5-Evans, 6-Mikaele-Tu'u, 7-Evans, 8-Flanders, 9-Fakatava, 10-Makene, 11-Lowe. 12-Fomai, 13-Ili, 14-Visinia, 15-Baker
Reserves: 16-Kereru, 17-Taumalolo, 18-Hintz, 19-Parsons, 20-Funaki, 21-McLoed, 22-McClutchie, 23-Toala
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of Mitre 10 Cup action on an action-packed Sunday afternoon.
We have three games this afternoon, with the 'Battle of the Bay' as Bay of Plenty hosts Hawke's Bay, Manawatū face Southland and Taranaki square off against Taranaki, in what will be Kieran Read's final game for the Steelers.
Hawke's Bay could move top of the Championship with a win, but if the Steemers win, Canterbury will drop to the bottom of the Premiership.
Live updates will start from 2:05pm
For full team lists, click here
