Counties snatch fourth win

Counties Manukau proved the value of taking points at every opportunity as they beat Tasman 23-3 to notch their fourth win in six rounds of the national provincial rugby championship at Pukekohe tonight.

The win not only buried the momory of last week's 3-39 loss to Waikato but also moved Counties back up into temporary occupation of second spot in the standings on 19 points alongside Wellington with the rest of the round still to come.

Tasman, downed 16-21 by Southland in their last outing, never got going in a match which started in a heavy downpour.

Despite the presence of All Black prop Ben Franks, Tasman's scrum was shaky at best while their lineouts, like most of their back play, was ragged.

Tasman halfback Steve Alfeld missed with his first look at goal early on put his side ahead in the 15th minute with a well-struck penalty.

That was all Tasman had to celebrate thereafter as the Counties forwards took control of the match to give all the quick ball their backline wanted.

Free running wing Sherwin Stowers and fullback Tim Nanai Williams were Counties' main weapons with able support from halfback August Pulu and first five-eighth Baden Kerr while Tana Umaga and Siale Piutau put a lock on the midfield which Tasman never found a way to break.

Nanai-Williams levelled the scores with a penalty in the 19th minute after Stowers had chased down a runaway Tasman wing Blair Cook to stop an almost certain try.

The fullback then slotted an accurate pass to wing Ahsee Tuala to dot down in the corner after Umaga had broken the Tasman defence. Nanai-Williams nailed the conversion and then added another penalty to put his side 13-3 at halftime.

Tasman hardly fired any shots in the second half, turning ball over regualrly and running down blind alleys when they had possession.

Nanai-Williams stretched Counties lead out with a 41st minute penalty and then Stowers deservedly got a converted try after a brilliant break by Pulu through a back-pedalling Tasman defence.

- NZPA