ITM Cup round four: Preview
The fourth round of the ITM Cup is set to begin on Thursday and several teams have plenty to prove going into an all-important fourth week.
North Harbour vs. Otago
North Harbour welcome Otago to Albany this week, for the fourth round’s first match.
North Harbour are coming off of a tough loss at the hands of Canterbury, and will look to get back on track against a winless Otago side.
Otago have not been playing poor rugby, and seem to have come up just shy in their three previous matches. They will hope to finally turn their season around against Harbour.
North Harbour currently sit in 11th with four points, while Otago are in last with one point.
Taranaki vs. Bay of Plenty
Taranaki will host Bay of Plenty on Friday at home in Plymouth.
Taranaki are coming off another win over Waikato, and are keen to show that they should been taken seriously in 2010. They have a good chance to improve their record against an inconsistent Bay of Plenty side.
Plenty recently suffered a defeat at the hands of Auckland over the weekend, in what was a rain-soaked affair. Plenty will look to bounce back, hopefully with some good weather, against Taranaki.
Taranaki are in fourth with 10 points, while Bay of Plenty are in ninth with seven points.
Tasman vs. Canterbury
Tasman will welcome Canterbury to Nelson for their fourth round match-up.
Tasman are coming off of their first victory of the season against Hawke’s Bay, but will have their hands full with a surging Canterbury side.
Canterbury won their first convincing match of the season last week against North Harbour, and will look to continue their dominance on Saturday.
Tasman are in 10th with four points, while Canterbury are in second with 12 points.
Counties-Manukau vs. Manawatu
Counties will host Manawatu in Pukekohe over the weekend.
Counties suffered their first loss of the season last week to Southland and will be interested in bouncing back against a struggling Manawatu squad.
Manawatu are coming off of an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Northland, and are hoping to forget it this week with their first win of the season.
Counties-Manukau sit in sixth with 10 points, while Manawatu are in 13th with two points.
Wellington vs. Waikato
In a high profile match-up Wellington welcomes Waikato to the nation’s capital this weekend.
Wellington is coming off of a win over Otago last round, and will be interested in keeping up their winning streak against a traditional rival in round four.
Waikato suffered a loss at the hands of Taranaki last week, and will hope to bring some consistency back to their game against a tough Wellington team on Saturday.
Wellington currently sit seventh with 10 points, while Waikato sit in eighth with eight points.
Auckland vs. Northland
Auckland is at home to Northland this week, in a tough round-four match-up.
Auckland recently defeated Bay of Plenty in a hard-fought match in round three, and will hope to keep it going against a surprising Northland side.
Northland are coming off of a massive victory over Manawatu last week, in which they managed seven tries for 77 points. Their offence looks stellar, and they will hope to continue their high point production away from home.
Auckland are currently tied for third with 10 points and two bonus points apiece.
Hawke’s Bay vs. Southland
Hawke’s Bay have been up and down this season, and showed it with their loss last week to Tasman. They will need to bring better form if they hope to defeat a strong Southland side.
Southland defeated Counties-Manukau last week to push themselves to the top of the table. They will plan to maintain their perfect record against a desperate Hawke’s Bay side.
Hawke’s Bay are in 12th with two points, while Southland are in first with 13 points.
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