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Four of the best NPC performers from round seven
By Adam Julian
Round seven of the Bunnings NPC saw Wellington retain top spot on the ladder with a 30-25 win against the Bay of Plenty at home, while Tasman kept up the chase with a 27-25 win over Waikato.
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Taranaki had a huge 63-19 win over Hawkes Bay while Northland beat North Harbour 47-24. Here are the top performers from week seven.
Riley Higgins (Wellington)
The folly of Wellington’s decision to shift the inform midfield back to the left wing for their failed Ranfurly Shield challenge in Tasman was further illustrated when Higgins played a staring role in Wellington’s 30-25 golden point extra-time victory over Bay of Plenty.
Higgins’ vision and skill created the winning moment with a deft kick that halfback Kyle Preston pursued and scored. Higgins was a constant threat throughout and was named man of the match,
In the NPC this season Higgins ranks in the top ten for carries, clean breaks, defenders beaten, and meters gained.
Higgins stands out for his ability to offload in contact. Higgins has delivered almost double the number of offloads as the next-best player creating ‘second-chance’ attacks other teams don’t enjoy.
Ryan Coxon (Tasman)
The 2017 Rugby World Cup Under 20 winning prop has battled away. He suffered a season-ending injury in 2021 and has only enjoyed brief stints in Super Rugby at the Crusaders, Chiefs and Western Force.
On Saturday Coxon played his 50th game for the Makos in a 27-25 victory over Waikato in Hamilton. The loosehead scored a try, carried vigorously, and was hard to buckle in the scrum.
A week earlier Coxon was in rampant form in Tasman’s successful Ranfurly Shield defence against Wellington.
Tasman is making something of a habit of winning matches late in 2024. Following their last-play 25-24 Ranfurly Shield win over Hawke’s Bay a fortnight ago, William Havili kicked an 83rd-minute penalty to sink the Mooloos.
Bradley Slater (Taranaki)
There’s a cohort of reliable, but hardly flashy, hookers that serve their teams with honorable consistency but struggle to get a look in with the All Blacks. Bradley Slater is one of those hookers.
In Tarakai’s record 63-19 thumping of Hawke’s Bay on Friday night, Slater reminded everybody that he’s far from a journeyman yet.
In a rare start ahead of Blues Super Rugby champion Ricky Riccitelli, Slater scored two tries and was everywhere for the rampant Bulls.
Defending champions Taranaki would have put the rest of the competition on notice with their display. Taranaki’s win also included three tries for Kini Naholo.
On the opposite end of the experience spectrum, Otago’s Harry Taylor is making a growing impression. With 130 tackles only TK Howden with 143 has more. The former New Zealand Under 20’s player is busy and generally accurate.
Rivez Reihana (Northland)
Last weekend Northland almost had the measure of Auckland, referee Ben O’Keeffe ruling that Rivez Reihana knocked the ball on, on the try line on the hooter when the score was 17-24.
Northland left no room for such doubt on Saturday dismantling North Harbour 47-24. It was close at halftime with Northland only leading 14-12, but Reihana took control of the second half and finished with 20 points as Northland captured the Ian Jones Trophy for the first time in a decade.
Reihana is a gifted player who’s struggled to settle at the Super Rugby level, but Northland could make a late surge into the top eight if he can emulate this performance.
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Higgins has been guilty of poor tackling though and was quite disappointing in that area in the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Tasman.
Position determines a lot about how you defend, so yes, if you're in an unfamiliar position you are not likely to defend well, and Higgins especially to me seems like someone more comfortable in the middle of the park. Not that I've seen enough of him to contradict you and suggest he's a good defender mind you, what I can say though is that winger for Tasman is a hot new prospect!
In fact I like him so much (I think he was on last weeks article) I hope he really considers switching allegiance to New Zealand if he has such a storming Super season next year to get interest.
Looking forward to seeing Higgins in Jordies place at the Hurricans next year.
Slater is still only 25, he is the one perhaps of all the hookers in NZ to be most aggrieved at not being this years third choice of hooker as Sami's back up, and competitor for a few years there, at the Chiefs. I wonder if perhaps his sharing of that role with potentially the best All Black prospect at hook, Tyrone Thompson, hindered his chance. You have to say though that if Thompson's contract had of been secured for next year it would have been him with AB squad selection and Fiji cap this year. I rate his field work as good enough to have pushed Aumua for some game time around now.
Reihana looks like a great asset at the Crusaders next year.
I didn't catch much action this week so thank you, will try and watch Northland and the Wellington Bay game!
As a Crusaders fan, its great to here Rivez is doing well. Hopefully he can fully claim the mantle next season🤞
Your Crusaders made a absolute mess of three talented 10s all coming from the Chiefs region. They are now using the NPC to regain some confidence and composure after the nightmare that was the Crusaders last year.