Southland win back-to-back NPC matches
- NZ Sports Wire
- Aug 22
- 2 min read
The Southland Stags did something they had not done in more than a decade in winning their second match of the season.
The Stags overcame Bay of Plenty 30-25 in a frenetic finish at Rotorua International Stadium on Thursday night, winning consecutive matches in the National Provincial Championship (NPC) for the first time since 2014.
LATEST HEADLINES:
The teams exchanged the lead five times in the second half, with Southland going ahead for good with Byron Smith's 73rd-minute penalty, before wing Michael Manson sealed the victory with time almost up.
The Stags trailed 7-6 at halftime after BOP prop Josh Bartlett crashed over in the 29th minute and Southland first-five Mika Muliaina, the nephew of All Blacks Centurion Mils Muliaina, booted two penalties.
The visitors survived on the stroke of halftime when Bay of Plenty knocked-on over the try-line, before they hit back two minutes after the resumption through halfback Nic Shearer.
All Blacks Sevens stalwart Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and fullback Kaleb Trask scored within seven minutes of each other to put the Steamers up 19-13 with 20 minutes remaining.
Replacement hooker Nic Souchon went over to retake the lead from a 5m lineout drive, before Trask and Byron Smith traded penalties and the lead, then Manson sliced through the tiring BOP defence.
After winning twice in seven days, Southland have eight days off before facing Waikato at Hamilton's FMG Stadium Waikato next Sunday (kick-off 4.35pm), while the Steamers travel away to North Harbour next Friday (kick-off 7.10pm).
Southland 30 (Nic Shearer, Nic Souchon, Michael Manson tries; Mika Muliaina con, 2 pen, Byron Smith 2 con, pen) Bay of Plenty 25 (Josh Bartlett, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Kaleb Trask tries; Kaleb Trask 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 6-7
