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A classy display by Black Ferns fullback Renee Holmes helped Waikato to secure a hard-fought 14-10 win against the Hawke’s Bay Tui.
The win takes Waikato to the top of the Premiership table ahead of Canterbury, but they had to dig deep in perfect conditions at Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park on Saturday.
The home side showed that their first-round victory against Auckland was no fluke after their promotion to the Premiership.
In a tight contest, Hawke’s Bay No 10 Krysten Cottrell landed a second-half penalty to give them a 10-7 lead, but a late try to Waikato replacement prop Caitlin Crozier was enough to grab the victory for the visitors.
Holmes’ tactical kicking, composure and defence – she made a critical tackle in the final phase of play – stood out for Waikato, who were put under significant pressure by the Premiership newcomers.
Hawke’s Bay No 8 Kathleen Brown, prop Ashley Palu and Cottrell were excellent, and slightly unfortunate to finish the contest on the losing side.
However, a yellow card to Hawke’s Bay midfielder Teilah Ferguson for a deliberate knock-on with 10 minutes to go proved decisive.
Waikato opted for the scrum after that decision, and they were good enough to exploit a gap in the midfield, with Crozier charging through for the matchwinner.
Hawke’s Bay were granted some chances to win the game in the final stages, but Waikato did just enough to close the game out.
Waikato lock Silia Sakalia gave Waikato the lead in the 24th minute, but they were pegged back by a Brown try as Hawke’s Bay took them on around the fringes.
Peter Meecham/Getty Images
Renee Holmes landed two important conversions for Waikato (FILE PHOTO).
In truth, they will be relieved to get back to Hamilton with the four competition points after a patchy display.
In Oamaru, Cheyenne Cunningham scored two tries for Otago Spirit as they thrashed the Taranaki Whio 41-0 in the Championship.
In the earlier games on Saturday, Karla Wright-Akeli and Grace Brooker both scored doubles as reigning champions Canterbury beat Bay of Plenty.
The win put Canterbury’s campaign back on track after a shock loss to Waikato last week.
Tasman beat North Harbour 26-21 in an extraordinary comeback. Having trailed 21-0, Tasman roared back and Lesieli Taufa scored the matchwinning try in injury time at the end of a dramatic second half.
AT A GLANCE
Farah Palmer Cup round 3
Waikato 14 Hawke’s Bay Tui 10
Otago Spirit 41 Taranaki Whio 0
Canterbury 42 Bay of Plenty Volcanix 12
Tasman 26 North Harbour Hibiscus 21
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