Sunday Territorian 4 Apr 2010
Sunday Territorian; NewspaperNT
2010-04-04
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
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Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
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https://hdl.handle.net/10070/700380
www.sundayterritorian.com.au Sunday Territorian, Sunday, April 4, 2010 37 P U B : NTNE-WS-DA-TE:4-APGE:37 CO-LO-R: C-M Y-K SPORT Bulls' charge stalled AUCKLAND: Isaia Toeava and Joe Rokocoko (pictured) scored tries and five-eighth Stephen Brett kicked 22 points as the Auckland Blues ended the Bulls 12-match unbeaten run with a 32-17 victory yesterday. The Bulls were unbeaten in six matches this season, in addition to a six-match streak on the way to the Super 14 title last year. The Pretoria-based team had not beaten the Blues in Auckland in 14 years, and lost the chance to equal the Canterbury Crusaders record of 13 straight Super rugby wins. The Blues led 16-11 after a first half in which the lead changed hands five times, but the home side played with more control and authority in the second half. We knew we had to step our game up to have any chance of winning, Blues captain Keven Mealamu said. Every single player stepped up tonight and we played some great football. Alhough Auckland had a huge advantage of possession, its defence was the crucial element of the win. BLUES 32 (Joe Rokocoko, Isaia Toeava tries Stephen Brett 2 cons 6 pens) d BULLS 17 (Pierre Spies try Morne Steyn 3 pens drop goal) at Eden Park. Referee: Craig Joubert (RSA). NT scores crushing win over Singapore SPEED TO BURN: Mosquitoes No. 8 Wise Sekitoga looks for support during the Mozzies romp against Singapore last night. Inset: Singapore centre Charlie Ryan tries desperately to halt Territory halfback Alex Munros progress. Pictures: STUART WALMSLEY By PETER TIFFEN at Austar Park NORTHERN Territory Rugby Union officials were scouring the record books last night after the Mozzies smashed Singapore 80-22. The NT scored six tries in each half in a devastating display against the Lions. No. 8 Wise Sekitoga and reserve utility back Damien Seubert, a late replacement in the squad, both notched hat-tricks. Flyhalf Robert Butcher was in devastating form with the boot, converting 10 of the 12 tries. NTRU chief executive Tim Heath could not remember a bigger win in his decade at the helm of Territory rugby. Coach Andrew Jacksons first match in charge of the Mozzies was a narrow win against Singapore in the corresponding fixture two years ago. He said he hoped last nights 58-point margin was an indication of the strides the team had taken. Weve been trying to put in place the structures for a kind of rugby I think Territorians can play and I think with 80 points tonight theyve done it, Jackson said. Sekitoga scored the first try after an opening two minutes in which Singapore did not touch the ball. But the Lions hit back, their big forwards fired up, and led the game 12-7 after tries from outside centre Matthew Taloni and prop George Rippon. We seem to go asleep for five or six minutes but the boys just snapped back into the kind of rugby that they can play, Jackson said. The Territory scored some remarkable tries in the match, from all points of the ground. Confronted with a bigger forward pack, the Territ orys tactic was to swing the ball wide and use its blind ing pace. Manassa Tuisuva got the NT back on track with a 60m turbo-charged effort down the left wing. Quick-stepping winger Shaun Wauchope crossed for two blistering tries and James Carey also finished with two. The support play was just fantastic. I couldnt be happier, Jackson said. Zac Phillips started at fullback after Jason Cole missed the last training session with work commit ments with Seubert coming into the team as a reserve. The depth of this squad is just so good that we can cover positions like that very well even when the reserves like Damien come on, he said. NORTHERN TERRITORY 80 (Wise Sekitoga 3, Damien Seubert 3, Shaun Wauchope 2, James Carey 2, Manassa Tuisuva, Richard Lucker tries; Robert Butcher 10 conversions) d SINGAPORE 22 (Matthew Roberts, Matthew Taloni, George Rippon tries; Tom Burns penalty goal, 2 conversions). Half-time: 40-15 NT. Western Force sees itself as Super 14 wrecking ball PERTH: The Western Force will attempt to become the wrecking ball of the Super 14 competition after breaking its 2010 duck in thrilling style against the Stormers in Perth on Friday night. Former All Blacks fiveeighth David Hills drop goal after the siren sunk the Stormers 16-15 and lifted the Force to its first win of the season and off the bottom of the table. The Force tackle the Highlanders and Blues in New Zealand over the next two weeks before returning home to tackle the highflying Crusaders. Mitchell, a former All Blacks coach, said his side feared no team and was eager to climb more rungs of the Super 14 ladder. We can get so much better so theres the exciting thing, Mitchell said. Weve still got a half a comp to go so well move forward from here. We can enjoy tonight but its important not to throw away what is working for us. I think the boys have got a real sense of feeling that they can dominate and dominate for long periods of time. Clearly theyve got great trust in their D at the moment. Hill only arrived in Perth from Japanese club Toshiba in late February after answering an SOS call from the Force, whose flyhalf stocks were devastated on the eve of the season when former Springbok Andre Pretorius tore his hamstring off the bone. Hill missed two longrange penalties in the second half against the Stormers but more than made up for it with his match-winning drop goal from 35m out, sparking wild c e l e b r a t i o n s a m o n g the players. Waratahs bolt to top of S14 table TOP EFFORT: Teammates Rob Horne, left, and Berrick Barnes, right, congratulate tryscorer Kurtley Beale. Picture: GETTY IMAGES By DARREN WALTON in Sydney THE NSW Waratahs surged to the top of the Super 14 ladder last night with a thumping 40-17 victory over the lowly Cheetahs at the Sydney Football Stadium. Despite the wet and slippery conditions, the Waratahs put on a show to celebrate Al Baxters 100th Super rugby game in style and the veteran front-rower came to the party with his first try for his state. Baxter, Australias most-capped prop with 69 Tests to his credit, crossed from the close range in the 44th minute as the Waratahs bagged five tries to clinch a vital bonus point. The 33-year-old Baxter, beaming from ear to ear, received rousing applause from the Waratahs faithful and high fives from the NSW bench after receiving a wellearned early shower in the 52nd minute. With the Bulls (loss), Stormers (loss) and Crusaders (draw) all stumbling this weekend, NSWs fifth straight win guaranteed Chris Hickeys side first position on the table on points differential after Round 8. With a trip to Christchurch next week to take on the seven-time championship-winning Crusaders, followed by a points-free bye and a Round 10 derby against the Brumbies, it was crucial the Waratahs performed in the absence of injured skipper Phil Waugh. Captaining his state for the first time at Super level, lock Dean Mumm was a standout, while centre Berrick Barnes enjoyed his best game for the Waratahs since joining the franchise from Queensland at the end of last season. The Waratahs led 23-3 at halftime courtesy of tries to centre Rob Horne in the 26th minute, after he capitalised on a clean break by his midfield partner Barnes, and prop Benn Robinson. Five-eighth Daniel Halangahu added both conversions, plus penalty goals in the ninth, 18th and 37th minutes to leave the home side in control at the break. Baxters five-pointer followed by a runaway effort from Beale in the 46th minute secured the win and bonus point. Replacement halfback Josh Holmes added a fifth NSW try in the 78th minute, which man-of-thematch Barnes converted to complete the rout. The visiting South Africans grabbed a couple of late consolation tries through prop WP Nel and reserve Corne Uys, with centre Meyer Bosman converting both to add to a first-half penalty goal to five-eighth Naas Olivier. NSW WARATAHS 40 (Alastair Baxter, Kurtley Beale, Josh Holmes, Robert Horne, Benn Robinson tries Daniel Halangahu 2, Berrick Barnes cons Halangahu 3 pens) d CHEETAHS 17 (WP Nel, Corne Uys tries Meyer Bosman 2 cons Naas Olivier pen) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Keith Brown (NZL). Chiefs rule MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Stephen Donald scored a try among his 17 points as the Chiefs came from behind to beat the Highlanders 27-21 in their Super 14 clash yesterday. All Blacks flyhalf Donald moved to inside centre for the match and coped well with his positional change, scoring a 30th-minute try and kicking three conversions and two penalties. Otago played strongly in set pieces in the first half and took a 15-10 lead into half-time, but Waikato recovered the lead early in the second half with a try to former All Blacks No. 8 Sione Lauaki and held it for the remainder of the match. The win was the Chiefs first at home this season, snapping a series of three losses, and gave them a 4-3 record after seven games. It left the Chiefs with still a chance of repeating last years appearance in the tournament final. I think the Highlanders played extremely well in the first half, and we were in trouble for a while, but its great to get the season on track again, Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina said. We started off poorly in set pieces. They had our scrum under pressure but I thought our lineout was a big step up from recent weeks. CHIEFS 27 (Stephen Donald, Sione Lauaki, Arizona Taumalolo tries Donald 3 cons 2 pens) d HIGHLANDERS 21 (Hayden Triggs, Fetuu Vainikolo tries Israel Dagg con 2 pens Robbie Robinson drop goal) at Baypark Stadium. Referee: Marius Jonker (RSA).