(ITM) waikato power it on in final quater,,,

//Getty Images Waikato power it on in final quarter Sportal.co.nz - (26/08/2012) - 8 Comments

Waikato powered on the last quarter pressure to claim a 42-22 win over North Harbour in a fast-moving game at North Harbour Stadium in Albany on Sunday.
  Playing with a breeze at their back Waikato would have felt they needed more points ahead of the second half against a vastly-improved North Harbour side.

But a burst of scoring midway through the second half saw prop Toby Smith, halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow, No.8 Alex Bradley and wing Declan O'Donnell took the initiative in decisive fashion.

It was a case of championship know-how overcoming ripe promise which was guilty of impatience, especially in defence where Waikato scored two of their tries under penalty advantage.

If there was a moment to demonstrate the different attitude in the North Harbour side it came in the moments after Waikato fullback Trent Renata opened the scoring with a penalty goal two minutes into the game.

North Harbour fullback Luke Devcich took a high ball and took ball right back to Waikato when linking with wing Nafi Tuitavake and centre Cory Aporo. The North Harbour pack was quickly in support and tore into a succession of rucks to turn ball over quickly and it was inevitable, so long as they held the ball, that the Waikato defences would be weakened and so it proved in the seventh minute when Tuitavake cut back in from the right wing to score.

Waikato have never been a side to refuse a challenge, and they stormed back into concentrated attack with the first response coming in the 16th minute when wing Tim Mikkelson scored.

Renata added a second penalty goal to secure the halftime advantage.

In the second half, the power in the home mid-field saw centre Cory Aporo split the Waikato defence. In the following play first five-eighths Michael Hobbs kicked to ground to find the corner. North Harbour then stole the lineout and it was hooker James Parsons who got across from a ruck in the opposite corner to score.

Waikato came back, but it was after some bad luck for North Harbour when Hobbs' clearing kick in his own 22 went dead. From the resulting scrum Waikato set up the chance which saw prop Toby Smith finish off a concerted move with a converted try which took Waikato to an 18-12 lead.

From the re-start Kerr-Barlow decided he had been quiet too long. He burst down the blindside, linked with left wing Declan O'Donnell who had supported infield. O'Donnell then passed back out to his supporting halfback and Kerr-Barlow raced around closer to the posts to score.

That opened the floodgates to finally extinguish North Harbour hopes, although there was consolation when replacement halfback Brenton Helleur scored.

Scorers:

North Harbour 22 (Nafi Tuitavaka, James Parsons, Brenton Helleur tries, Michael Hobbs con; Luke Devcich pen; Codey Rei con ) Waikato 42 (Tim Mikkelson, Toby Smith, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Alex Bradley, Brendon Leonard, Kaleem Chan Boon tries; Trent Renata 3 con, 2 pen ). HT: 7-11