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Waikato 26 Taranaki 33
Waikato - Tucker, Leuila, Waaka & Dawai tries; Smith 3 conversions
Taranaki - Waite & Naholo try; Perofeta 7 penalties & conversion
Fulltime
Stephen Perofeta's 23 points off the boot have steered Taranaki to a comeback 33-26 win over Waikato at Tauranga to consolidate their grip on the NPC championship lead.
The first-five took advantage of a first-half wind to bring up 100 points for the season, slotting five penalties for a slender 15-12 lead at halftime.
Waikato scored four tries to their rivals' two and took a lead after the break, when fullback Beaudine Waaka scored against his old province.
Centre Dan Waite put Taranaki ahead, after some fancy footwork from Kini Naholo down the left sideline. Fletchet Smith had a chance to but Waikato back ahead, but missed a handy penalty goal beside the posts and moments later, floated a long pass that Naholo picked off, for a length-of-the-field intercept try that swung the match back Taranaki's way for good.
The result tives Taranaki an eight-point lead on the championship table, while Waikato edge ahead of Tasman for second on the premiership ladder.
Second half
40th minute - With time running out, Waikato steal the ball inside Taranaki territory with a chance to force extra time. Tucker tries to move the ball right, but his pass is disrupted in the tackle and bobbles forward to end the movement.
Taranaki clears the ball from the scrum and Perofeta kicks to touch to end the game.
38th minute - Perofeta slots another goal into the win, TAR 33-26
37th minute - From the scrum, Naholo has another powerful run down the left and fires a loose pass infield. Sowakula cleans the ball up and Taranaki are awarded another penalty that can stretch the lead and burn up some time.
35th minute - Taranaki try to run the ball from their own line and new winger Tikoisolomone dashes down the sideline, but is eventually stopped by a high tackle from Ratima, who is shown a yellow card. Waikato will finish the game one man down.
33rd minute - Taranaki lose the ball, but Fraser pings Waikato for offside in front of the posts. Perofeta can create some breathing room...
He chips it high and between the posts, TAR 30-26
32nd minute - Sowakula goes for a charge off the back of the scrum and Taranaki build some phases.
30th minute - Taranaki hold the ball up in a maul - great work from Riccitelli - and they have an attacking scrum in midfield.
28th minute - TRY to Leuila
Taranki put in a big defensive scrum, but Waikato runs a set move off the back, with Smith finding Leuila running on an angle to score. Smith slots the conversion, TAR 27-26
26th minute - Waikato win a penalty in front of the posts and they call for another scrum. That was a sitter three points turned down.
25th minute - Taranaki try to run the ball from their own goal-line, but a long pass from Potroz to Naholo is spilled and Waikato have an attacking scrum.
23rd minute - TRY to Naholo
Potroz tries a cheeky dropout, but Waikato recover the ball. They try to find a way through the defence, but a loopy pass from Smith is picked off by Naholo, who has too much speed over the length of the field.
Perofeta converts, TAR 27-19
21st minute - From the kickoff, Taranaki try to clear their 22, but are penalised at the breakdown. Smith sprays his kick wide of the posts.
18th minute - TRY to Waite
Taranaki win the lineout and move the ball left. A touch pass gives Naholo space on the sideline and he barely flicks a pass inside to Waite, before he is pushed out.
Perofeta leaves his coversion to the right, TAR 20-19
17th minute - Dawai chips ahead, but Perofeta gathers at speed and sparks a counterattack. Waikato are penalised and Perofeta kicks to the corner.
16th minute - Waikato have a new hooker and his throw to the lineout is shaky, but eventually secured, as the Mooloo go on attack.
14th minute - From the kickoff, Taranaki have the ball back and battle over halfway.
12th minute - TRY to Waaka
Taranaki are offside and Roe takes a quick tap. The ball moves right to Waaka, who powers over in a tackle.
Some doubt about whether he grounded the ball, but Fraser has no doubts and awards the try. Smith converts, WAI 19-15
11th minute - Waikato win a lineout and build phases into Taranaki half.
10th minute - Roe kicks deep, but Perofeta is safe and clears towards halfway.
Seventh minute - Taranaki win a lineout and power onto attack. The ball comes left, where Naholo props infield.
A floating pass right from Perofeta is picked off by Smith, but he's tackled, before he can gather speed to score.
Sixth minute - Waikato steal a lineout against the throw and Coombes-Fabling puts a kick into the corner. Taranaki win it and will look to clear.
Kneepkens steams towards halfway, but is eventually stopped. Taranaki win a penalty.
Fifth minute - Waikato win another attacking lineout and roll towards the line, but Taranaki wrap up the ruck - that was Jury - to win a clearing penalty.
Third minute - Waikato win the lineout, Johnstone bursts through a gap and offloads to Dyer, but Smith is overturned in a tackle and Taranaki clear.
Second minute - Potroz takes a quick tap, signalling Waikato's intent early. Perofeta chips, but Waikato now have an attacking chance.
First minute - Waikato will have that wind at their backs in the second half and will no doubt try to put Perofeta under the same pressure with the high ball.
Waikato control the kickoff and Roe pumps the first high ball to Perofeta, who is safe underneath. Taranki win a penalty at the breakdown.
First half
40th minute - Waikato win the lineout and maul towards the goal-line. The ball moves right and left, as Waikato look for a way through, but Smith looses the ball in a tackle, as the half ends.
39th minute - Fraser calls Taranaki for incorrect entry to the breakdown and Smith kicks to the corner.
38th minute - Waikato overpower a scrum and mount and attack, but a pass goes loose and Perofeta clears from his own deadball line.
37th minute - Taranaki scrum looks shaky and they struggled to clear the ball, with Sowakula eventually running into the back of his own teammate for accidental offside.
35th minute - McWhannell wins a lineout and and the ball moves right by Waikato, where a kick infield from Waaka goes loose and eventually knocked on by Waikato.
32nd minute - Perofeta splits the Waikato defence and fires a pass left to Naholo, whose hands let him down big time, with the line open.
29th minute - Messy scrum from Taranaki and Rampling drops the ball to let Waikato off the hook.
28th minute - Smith is having a nightmare under the high ball and knocks one on to put Taranaki hot on attack again.
27th minute - Perofeta continues his faultless goalkicking with his fifth penalty, TAR 15-12
26th minute - Taranaki playing under advantage, but Sowakula powers through the forward pack. Perofeta points to the posts...
24th minute - Waikato playing under advantage and Fraser eventually brings them back. Smith completely miscues his kick for touch - the ball screws infield.
23rd minute - Taranaki try to attack from a scrum, but Waikato turn the ball over and Misa powers through a couple of tackles.
21st minute - Another powerful run by Naholo down the left, before the ball moves right and Sowakula throws a dummy, before powering over in the tackle. Replays show Walden knocked on the inside pass from Naholo, so try disallowed.
19th minute - Smith attempts to clear his own line, but Jury charges it down and the ball just beats him dead, before he can force for a try.
17th minute - TRY to Tucker
Potroz fields a high ball just inside the Waikato half and Taranaki are on the front foot again. Williams drops the ball and Waikato have penalty advantage for a high tackle.
They don't need it, as the ball moves right and interpassing between the second-rowers sees McWhannell provide the final pass for Tucker to score.
Smith converts, 12-12
15th minute - TRY to Dawai
After the Waikato forwards lay seige on the Taranaki goal-line, Dawai splits the last line of defence to score. Smith's conversion is blown off target, TAR 12-5
14th minute - Potroz kicks high and Smith again loses sigtht of it, but Waikato recover the bounce and launch an attack.
12th minute - Big scrum from Taranaki overpowers the Waikato eight and Perofeta will have another shot at goal from the penalty. He slots it, TAR 12-0
10th minute - Taranaki steal the ball and Naholo makes a powerful run down the left. Sleight of hand by the Taranaki backs, but the ball eventually goes loose, knocked on by Perofeta.
Ninth minute - Perofeta slots the kick from near halfway to bring up 100 points for the season, TAR 9-0
Naholo loses the ball and Waikato mount an attack...
Seventh minute - Fraser blows another penalty for Taranaki, with Waite tying up the ruck ball. Perofeta points to the posts again...
Sixth minute - Taranaki control the kickoff and Potroz tries a kick through, but Waikato finally have the ball.
Fourth minute - Fraser playing advantage, as Slater makes a big run down the right. Perofeta will have a chance to double the lead...
He slots the goal from in front, TAR 6-0
Third minute - Perofeta slots it from about 40m out, TAR 3-0
First minute - Fletcher Smith kicks off for Waikato and completely loses sight of the ball, when it's kicked back in his direction. Taranaki win a penalty at the lineout and Perofeta will kick for goal.
2:01pm - The teams are playing for the Ryan Wheeler Trophy today - Wheeler played for Taranaki from 1993-96 and Waikato 1998,99.
Taranaki have been smashd by injuries today, especially among the forwards, with hooker Brad Slater having to line up at flanker.
Mike Fraser today's referee.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the NPC clash between Waikato and Taranaki from Tauranga Domain.
Take a second to fell for Taranaki today. The amber-and-blacks are a perfect five wins from five games to start their 2021 season - comfortably atop the NPC Championship.
But that won't count for anything this year, with promotion and relegation scrapped due to the removal of Auckland, North Harbour and Counties Manukau from the competition, foiling Taranaki's ambitions of playing in next year's premiership.
But that shouldn't stop Neil Barnes' side from putting on a show here, up against Waikato, who sit third in the premiership, seeking a win to see them past Tasman and Hawke's Bay into the lead.
TAB odds: Waikato $1.53, Taranaki $2.35
Waikato: 1-Ayden Johnstone (cc), 2-Sam Cooper, 3-George Dyer, 4-James Tucker, 5-Laghlan McWhannell, 6-Hamilton Burr, 7-Mitch Jacobson, 8-Liam Messam, 9-Cortez Ratima, 10-Fletcher Smith, 11-Mosese Dawai, 12-Gideon Wrampling, 13-Bailyn Sullivan, 14-Liam Coombes-Fabling, 15-Matty Lansdown
Reserves: 16-Steven Misa, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-Rob Cobb, 19-James Thompson, 20-Rupeni Tamani, 21-Xavier Roe, 22-D'Angelo Leuila, 23-Tepea Cook-Savage
Taranaki: 1-Jared Proffit, 2-Ricky Riccitelli, 3-Michael Bent, 4-Scott Jury, 5-Micky Wooliams, 6-Tom Florence, 7-Bradley Slater, 8-Pita Gus Sowakula, 9-Logan Crowley, 10-Jayson Potroz, 11-Kini Naholo, 12-Teihorangi Walden (c), 13-Daniel Waite, 14-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 15-Stephen Perofeta.
Reserves: 16-Mills Sanerivi, 17-Donald Brighouse, 18-Kyle Stewart, 19-Rhodes Featherstone, 20-Hempo Cunningham, 21-Liam Blyde, 22-Daniel Rona, 23-Vereniki Tikoisolomone.
