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A two-try effort from superstar winger Ruby Tui wasn’t enough for Counties Manukau, who paid the price for ill-discipline in a 33-17 Farah Palmer Cup loss to Canterbury in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon.
It was a third successive defeat for the Heat, which leaves them fifth in the premiership with one game to play in the race for the semifinals, and they might rue what could have been at Apollo Projects Stadium, having pushed the defending champions hard, but spending 20 minutes of the contest with 14 women.
However, the red and blacks, full of confidence on the back of their 84-14 humping of Hawke’s Bay last weekend, came home strong, in a bonus-point win that puts them back on top of the table, four points ahead of Waikato, who have a game in hand (away to Auckland on Sunday).
Tui, having returned to the domestic game in the previous round, scored the opening try in each half, while she laid on what should have been the first five-pointer of the contest in just the fifth minute, only for fullback Mererangi Paul to drop the simplest of passes right on the tryline.
Rosie Kelly’s three penalties kept the scoreboard ticking over for the hosts, and they took a 14-10 lead to the break after striking late in the first half – through fullback Karla Wright-Akeli – on the back of a yellow card to Heat openside flanker Stacey Brown for a high tackle.
Peter Meecham/Getty Images
Referee Tarsh Ganley shows a yellow card to Counties Manukau’s Stacey Brown.
While a superb 25-metre Tui effort immediately got the visitors back in it early in the second stanza, Canterbury hit straight back when Holly Wratt-Groeneweg strolled over out wide, and the replacement loose forward then grabbed her second in eye-catching style quarter of an hour later courtesy of a 40-metre roaming run.
If the Heat’s day wasn’t then done at 28-12, it was when lock Vineta Teutau was binned for a no-arms shot in the 65th minute, as Georgia Ponsonby profited from the rolling maul to bag Canterbury their bonus point.
Meanwhile, the seedings in the championship division have been decided after Saturday’s final round.
The Manawatū Cyclones remain unbeaten, having given Selica Winiata the perfect celebration for becoming the first woman to play 100 games for the province, snatching a 31-27 win over the Otago Spirit in Dunedin after a 79th minute try to Hollyrae Mete.
They will get next weekend off along with the Northland Kauri, with the latter finishing second on the back of a 31-6 win over Tasman in Blenheim.
The Taranaki Whio notched their first victory of the season, beating the North Harbour Hibiscus 31-19 at the Onewa Domain, which means Harbour will travel to face Otago next week in the 3 v 6 semifinal, with Tasman hosting Taranaki in the 4 v 5 matchup.
AT A GLANCE
Farah Palmer Cup, Rd 6
At Onewa Domain, Auckland: Taranaki Whio 31 (Louise Blyde 2, Eva Martin 2, Brooke Neilson tries; Laura Claridge 3 con) North Harbour Hibiscus 19 (Moana Courtenay 2, Grace Freeman tries; Grace Freeman 2 con). HT: 21-12
At Apollo Projetcs Stadium, Christchurch: Canterbury 33 (Holly Wratt-Groeneweg 2, Karla Wright-Akeli, Georgia Ponsonby tries; Rosie Kelly 2 con, 3 pen) Counties Manukau Heat 17 (Ruby Tui 2, Mererangi Paul tries; Mererangi Paul con). HT: 14-7
At Lansdowne Park, Blenheim: Northland Kauri 31 (Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Ocean Tierney, Corina Blair, Aroha Savage, Patricia Vaka tries; Krystal Murray 3 con) Tasman 6 (Cassie Siataga 2 pen). HT: 7-6
At University of Otago Oval, Dunedin: Manawatū Cyclones 31 (Hollyrae Mete 2, Jashana Tetue-Teuawiri, Marilyn Fanoga, Maia Davis tries; Selica Winiata 3 con) Otago Spirit 27 (Keely Hill 2, Jamie Church 2, Cheyenne Cunningham tries; Cormick con). HT: 12-20
POINTS (games played)
Premiership: Canterbury 22 (5), Waikato 18 (4), Auckland 16 (4), Hawke’s Bay 11 (4), Counties Manukau 10 (5), Bay of Plenty 5 (5), Wellington 2 (5)
Championship: Manawatū 25 (5), Northland 22 (5), Otago 17 (5), Tasman 12 (5), Taranaki 5 (5), North Harbour 1 (5).
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