Taranaki flat in 'bore-fest'

BY GLENN MCLEAN IN AUCKLAND

If Taranaki are to use yesterday's match against Auckland as a yardstick for where they sit in the national championship, then they will know there is plenty of work to do.

While the 27-13 defeat at Eden Park did not hurt Taranaki badly on the ITM Cup points table after a round of upsets, there will be genuine disappointment throughout the province that they could not break a five-game losing streak to Auckland and grab top spot.

The 10-day lay-off between games was supposed to rejuvenate the players after they had played three games in 12 days.

If anything it appeared to flatten them, as they lacked intensity from the outset.

The first half will not make any highlights show after both sides failed to construct any real try-scoring opportunities, the only exception being when Taranaki's Jayden Hayward was pushed out 5m from the line.

The flags the Auckland union gave out to the crowd of just over 5500 before the game barely got a chance to flutter as the food outlets saw more action than was produced on the pitch.

"I thought the first half from both teams was pretty average," Auckland coach Mark Anscombe said. "It was a bore-fest to be honest and I'm sure there were a few people that would have been thinking about leaving."

The 6-3 lead Auckland took to the break was hardly deserved, either, although the score did reflect one of the most listless 40 minutes the competition has produced to date.

It was not as if Taranaki did not have their share of possession. They did, but just could not do enough with it.

Even a numerical advantage when Auckland's Peter Saili was sinbinned for a high tackle that knocked out wing David Smith could not be exploited.

All the pace and positive play Taranaki produced at training this week seemed lost somewhere on their plane journey as they struggled to deal with the physical approach brought to the breakdown by Auckland.

The Taranaki backs tried to use width but no one really ran on to the ball, changed angles or created any line breaks of note.

Too often Taranaki were confronted by two or three defenders and could not win back the ball at the breakdown with any speed. They should have committed more players to the ball to counter the Auckland aggression.

They didn't and paid the price.

Behind 14-3, Taranaki started to exploit opposition mistakes and when replacement flanker Samu Vunisa crashed over in the 46th minute they were right back in the game.

With half an hour left they needed to lift. Instead, they continued to concede penalties and when they failed to wake up to a quick throw and deal with a kick through, Auckland scored the match-winning try.

Tenderlink Taranaki captain Craig Clarke was at a loss to explain the lack of urgency from his players at crucial times of the match.

"Straight from the first contact they hoed into it and we didn't. That summed up the game," he said.

"The width was on in the first half but we turned it over at crucial times. We just couldn't build any momentum."

Clarke was disappointed with the lack of urgency and work rate from his forwards, who also made too many mistakes.

He thought they had "weathered the storm" and were back in the game after Vunisa's try.

"They were just too physical for us. It would have been nice if we started like that but we were behind the eight-ball the whole time."

Taranaki coach Colin Cooper was also disappointed with the attitude, or lack of it, from his players.

"We were in the game but they had more intensity than us and they got a roll on," he said.

Cooper and assistant coach Leo Crowley will now mull over possible changes ahead of the match on Sunday against Counties-Manukau in New Plymouth.

Centre George Pisi was caught out on defence a couple of times yesterday and needs to lift his attacking game. There must be a temptation to find a position for Beauden Barrett in the backline, even if that means he gets a crack at first five-eighth.

Willie Ripia has been good this season but Taranaki look like they need a No10 who can hold up the defence, especially with nearly all of their attackers out wide.

The forwards as a whole need to lift at every contact point, as well as provide some continuity between themselves and the backs.

AUCKLAND 27 (A Pakalani, W Stanley tries; M Berquist 5 pens, con) TARANAKI 13 (S Vunisa try; W Ripia 2 pens, con). Halftime: 6-3.

  NPC at a glance: Page 19

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