NPC: Counties Manukau score first win of season with 32-19 upset over Bay Of Plenty

At Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe: Counties Manukau 32 (Kauvaka Kaivelata, Sam Tuifua, penalty try, Riley Hohepa tries; Riley Hohepa 2 con, 2 pen) Bay Of Plenty 19 (Cole Forbes, Kurt Eklund, Semisi Paea tries; Lucas Cashmore 2 con) HT: 29-14.

Counties Manukau is on the board in this year’s national provincial championship thanks to a 32-19 victory over Bay Of Plenty in Pukekohe on Friday night.

In a bizarre yet entertaining match, Counties Manukau scored 26 points in an opening 12 minute blitz and then defended themselves to victory, with their only other scoring plays in the contest being two Riley Hohepa penalties.

Of their 32 points, just three came in the second half.

All Blacks XV outside back Etene Nanai-Seturo, playing fullback for Counties Manukau, was outstanding and a constant threat for the Bay Of Plenty defence. His left boot also turned the visitors around regularly to get Counties Manukau out of trouble.

Former All Black Hoskins Sotutu did much of the heavy lifting for Counties Manukau on the defensive side of the ball and he produced a couple of critical try-savers in the dying minutes to repel a surging Bay Of Plenty.

In a frantic start, five tries were scored inside an opening 12 minutes that also featured a penalty try that saw Bay of Plenty flanker Naitoa Ah Kuoi sent to the sin bin for a maul infringement.

Counties Manukau’s loosehead prop Kauvaka Kaivelata opened the scoring – on the back of some electric work from Nanai-Seturo – when the game was just 60 seconds old, before Bay Of Plenty hit back through fullback speedy Cole Forbes, who cruised through a massive gap in the defence to make it a try each, just three minutes in.

But if Bay of Plenty thought that was the start of winning back momentum, they had another thing coming. Counties Manukau loose forward Sam Tuifua charged over from close range after a trick play from a lineout, then came the penalty try, before Hohepa crossed just before the clock had ticked over to 12 minutes.

After the hectic opening, the point scoring went on pause, until Hohepa slotted a penalty just before the half-time break, then in the final play, Bay of Plenty captain Kurt Eklund crossed for his side’s second try.

The comeback continued just a few minutes into the second half when Semisi Paea scored for Bay Of Plenty from a maul.

Counties Manukau replacement Blake Makiri thought he was off with a length of the field game-clinching intercept inside the final 10 minutes but referee Marcus Playle – who had a strong performance with the whistle – called him back for an earlier offside closer to the ruck, but it mattered not.

Counties Manukau held on during four consecutive Bay Of Plenty scrums on their own line before winning a scrum penalty to get themselves out of danger and into the win column.