Michael Bradley/Getty Images
Jayson Potroz puts in a strong run with the ball in hand during the round two Bunnings NPC game between Bay of Plenty and Taranaki at Tauranga Domain on Sunday.
“We weren’t good enough.”
Taranaki Bulls captain Mitch Brown summed up the team’s performance in one sentence after the squad was beaten 46-6 by Bay of Plenty in the second round of the Bunnings NPC on Sunday.
The Chiefs representative said there was a lot of work to be done after the loss in Tauranga, where Bay of Plenty claimed the Peter Burke trophy.
Bay of Plenty scored six tries to nil in front of a health crowd on a beautiful afternoon.
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The conditions were right for Bay of Plenty, who willingly threw the ball wide.
It looked like when Bay of Plenty had the ball, they penetrated by driving across the advantage line and entering Taranaki’s 22.
“They were too good,” Brown told Sky Sport after the game. “We had a fairly inexperienced team there and we will be taking lessons against Canterbury next week.”
The inexperience involved three players on the debut, including Adam Lennox, Michael Loft, who came in within five minutes due to an injury to block Stan van den Hoven, and substitute Ethan Reti.
There were several areas that Bay of Plenty Taranaki played out, including on the regular. It didn’t help when Van den Hoven left the field after his knee twisted during a tackle.
Michael Bradley/Getty Images
Taranaki’s Pita Gus-Sowakula rushes the ball forward.
Whether related or not, their scrum was under pressure with frequent lineout issues for most of the game.
“The injury is not something Coach Neil Barnes wanted after drafting a depleted team after injuries in the opening game against Northland last weekend.
Ill discipline didn’t help either, with Southern’s Jesse Parate guilty of at least two penalties during the match, including a penalty reversal five yards from the Bay of Plenty try-line.
The backline lacked the penetration and pace that served the province so productively in their successful 2021 season.
That aside, New Zealand U20 and Stratford/Eltham halfback Lennox gave an excellent report from fullback. He made many brave runs in the strong Bay of Plenty defense and even made an odd line break.
Brown said the younger players are the “best players out there”.
The first five eighth Jayson Potroz kicked better than last week at Pukekura Park with two successful penalties, the only points Taranaki could think of.
There was some hope with Teihorangi Walden showing promise in his first game back for Taranaki this year. He made several runs on the field and was the ingredients the team needed in their first appearance against Northland last week.
But with the next four games against Canterbury, Wellington, Waikato and Tasman, alarm bells are ringing.
Brown is aware of the schedule yet to come.
“There is plenty of work to do. We’ll go back to the drawing board and work something out.”
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