Highlanders Across the Provinces: NPC Round 7 Preview

Round 6 Wrap: 

Round 6 saw the NPC move into the second half of the regular season, with the playoff picture beginning to take shape. 

The biggest matchup of the round came on Friday night as Otago travelled to Napier to face the unbeaten Hawke’s Bay Magpies. Otago made an impressive start, racing out to a 24-7 lead against the competition’s top team. 

However, Hawke’s Bay fought their way back into the contest, scoring 28 unanswered points to take a 35-24 win and preserve their unbeaten record. Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava was again heavily involved for the Magpies, scoring in the first half before helping spark their second-half comeback. 

Despite the loss, Lucas Casey continued his outstanding NPC campaign for Otago. The Highlanders loose forward has now scored eight tries through six matches and continues to be one of the competition’s most damaging forwards with ball in hand. 

Taranaki continued their resurgence with a convincing 28-12 win over Auckland in New Plymouth. After starting the season slowly, the Bulls have now recorded back-to-back wins over Canterbury and Auckland, with Highlanders fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens continuing to play an important role at the back. 

One of the surprises of the weekend came in Tauranga, where Manawatū overturned a 12-0 deficit to beat Bay of Plenty 29-12. Highlanders loose forward and Turbos captain Te Kamaka Howden was once again at the centre of the action. Howden was instrumental as Manawatū claimed their second consecutive victory. 

Tasman got back on the winners' board with a 42-28 victory over Wellington in Blenheim. The Mako produced six tries, with their dangerous outside backs proving difficult for Wellington to contain. Wellington showed improvement but remain without a win through the opening six rounds of the competition. 

Canterbury also returned to winning ways after consecutive defeats, producing an impressive 36-14 victory over Waikato in Hamilton. The defending champions had lost to Northland and Taranaki in their previous two outings but responded strongly away from home to keep themselves firmly in playoff contention. 

Southland were unable to make it two wins for the season as Counties Manukau backed up their Round 5 victory over Wellington with another strong performance. The Steelers ran out 47-24 winners in Pukekohe, leaving Sean Withy and the Stags looking to bounce back when they return home in Round 7. 

Round 6 finished with plenty of points at North Harbour Stadium as Harbour defeated Ranfurly Shield holders Northland 57-42. The 99-point contest saw Harbour climb further up the standings, while Northland's Shield remains safe with the match played away from Whangārei. 

Round 6 Results: 

• Taranaki 28–12 Auckland 

• Hawke’s Bay 35–24 Otago 

• Bay of Plenty 12–29 Manawatū 

• Tasman 42–28 Wellington 

• Waikato 14–36 Canterbury 

• Counties Manukau 47–24 Southland 

• North Harbour 57–42 Northland 

Looking ahead to Round 7: 

Otago return home on Friday night for another important matchup as they welcome Tasman to Forsyth Barr Stadium. 

Otago will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Hawke’s Bay and keep themselves well positioned in the playoff race. Tasman arrive in Dunedin with some confidence after their win over Wellington and have plenty of attacking threats across the park. 

For Otago, the likes of Lucas Casey, Will Stodart, Benjamin Lopas, Jake Te Hiwi and Sam Nemec-Vial have all featured prominently throughout the campaign. With both sides capable of playing an expansive style, a dry track under the roof could see a high scoring match.  

Round 7 begins on Thursday night as Te Kamaka Howden and Manawatū host Taranaki in Palmerston North. The Turbos are one of the competition’s form teams after consecutive wins over North Harbour and Bay of Plenty, but they will face a Taranaki side which has also found some momentum over the past fortnight. 

Saturday begins with an Auckland derby as Auckland host Counties Manukau at Eden Park. The Steelers enter the game hunting a third straight victory, while Auckland will be desperate to turn their season around after another defeat against Taranaki. 

Northland return to Whangārei later on Saturday to face Waikato. Importantly for the Taniwha, that means the Ranfurly Shield will once again be on the line. Northland successfully defended the Log o’ Wood against Tasman in Round 5 before travelling away to North Harbour, and Waikato will now get their opportunity to take it south. 

Canterbury welcome Wellington to One New Zealand Stadium on Saturday night. The defending champions rediscovered some of their early-season form in their victory over Waikato and will see Round 7 as an opportunity to build momentum. Wellington, meanwhile, remain in search of their first win of the campaign. 

Sunday features a massive top-of-the-table matchup as unbeaten Hawke’s Bay host North Harbour at McLean Park. Folau Fakatava and the Magpies have now won all six of their matches, but Harbour will provide another significant test after putting 57 points on Northland last weekend. 

Round 7 concludes in Invercargill as Southland return to Rugby Park to face Bay of Plenty. The Stags will be desperate to make the most of home advantage after three consecutive defeats, while the Steamers will also be looking for a response following their loss to Manawatū. Sean Withy and Nikora Broughton could find themselves directly involved in an intriguing battle between two hardworking loose forward packs. 

Round 7 Fixtures: 

Thursday 10 September 

• Manawatū vs Taranaki – 7:10pm – Central Energy Trust Arena 

Friday 11 September 

• Otago vs Tasman – 7:10pm – Forsyth Barr Stadium 

Saturday 12 September 

• Auckland vs Counties Manukau – 2:05pm – Eden Park 

• Northland vs Waikato – 5:05pm – Semenoff Stadium 

• Canterbury vs Wellington – 7:10pm – One New Zealand Stadium 

Sunday 13 September 

• Hawke’s Bay vs North Harbour – 2:05pm – McLean Park 

• Southland vs Bay of Plenty – 5:05pm – Rugby Park, Invercargill 

Players to Watch in Round 7: 

Lucas Casey – Otago 

Lucas Casey’s incredible NPC form continues. 

The Highlanders Rookie of the Year has scored eight tries through his first six matches of the campaign and has carried for more metres than any other flanker in the competition.  

Casey’s combination of work rate and attacking ability has made him one of Otago’s most important players, and after a tough loss in Napier, expect him to be right in the middle of things when Tasman arrives under the roof on Friday night. 

Te Kamaka Howden – Manawatū 

The Manawatū captain has been instrumental in the Turbos' recent resurgence. 

Howden was again prominent during their impressive comeback victory over Bay of Plenty, combining with Brayden Iose to provide a huge amount of work on both sides of the ball. 

The Highlanders loose forward has developed into one of Manawatū’s leaders and will have another major role to play against a Taranaki side coming off consecutive wins. With both teams carrying momentum into Thursday night, Howden’s work around the breakdown and defensive effort could be crucial. 

Folau Fakatava – Hawke’s Bay 

Folau is becoming difficult to leave off this list, and there are calls for his inclusion in the next All Blacks squad based off his form in the NPC.  

The Highlanders halfback was again outstanding in Round 6 as Hawke’s Bay fought back from 24-7 down to defeat Otago. Fakatava scored a try, constantly threatened around the fringes and played a major role in the Magpies' second-half turnaround. 

Hawke’s Bay remains the only unbeaten side in the competition and face another major test this weekend against North Harbour. With Harbour coming off a 57-point performance against Northland, the Magpies will need Folau controlling the tempo and creating opportunities once again if they are to keep their perfect record intact.