Mitre10 Cup
FT | @TasmanMakos bring up 50 points on the stoke of full time to secure a bonus point win over @RugbySouthland. #TASvSOU
Makos put 50 on Southland
Tasman have enhanced their claims for a Premiership playoff spot with a comfortable 50-17 win over Championship strugglers Southland in Nelson.
Southland are yet to win a game in 2017 and were immediately on the back foot in the face of an impressive onslaught from Tasman in the opening fifteen minutes.
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It took just one minute for the home-side to get on the board when impressive young fullback Will Jordan cut through the Stags defence to set up Pete Samu for the opening points. Moments later, electric wing Viliami Lolhea showed his class with a brilliant individual effort to leave the Stags trailing 14-0 after just five minutes. Southland couldn’t get their hands on the ball as Tasman showed great continuity to keep the ball alive. The pressure told once again in the 12th minute when James Lowe found himself in space out wide to make it 21-0.
A rout looked likely, but Southland showed great heart to score with their first opportunity in the Tasman half. It was a timely confidence boost for the Stags but Tasman closed out the half with another two tries to make it 33-5 at the break.
The tale of the first half lay in the possession statistics. Southland only had 25 percent of the ball and just couldn’t contain Tasman’s big forward ball runners and speedy outside backs.
While Southland were never going to overcome the big halftime defecit, they were a much improved team in the second half. With their pack working more effectively at the break down and with ball in hand, Southland flipped the possession stats in the second half.
It was a much more even affair in the second half as Southland crossed for superb team tries to Elliot Dixon and Aleki Morris to close the final score to 50-17. If anything the final score was a little flattering for Southland as they scored a try to Mitch Hunt with time up on the clock.
Tasman may have been guilty of sitting on their bonus point win, but credit must go to Southland for a determined second half effort.
The win leaves Tasman fourth on the Premiership ladder and well placed for the playoffs while Southland remain without a competition point in 2017.
Scorers:
Tasman 50 (Ethan Blackadder, Pete Samu, Jordan Taufua, Viliami Lolohea 2, James Lowe, Alex Nankivell tries, Mitch Hunt try, con, Tim O’Malley 4 con) Southland 17 (Elliot Dixon, Aleki Morris, Mike Molly tries, Scott Eade con)
HT: 33-5
