Taranaki saw off Southland 55-19 in the Bunnings NPC on Saturday, 20 September 2026. The hosts ran in more tries than the visitors could count, and the scoreboard told a story that went well beyond a routine win. By then, the gap between the two sides had opened into something harder to close.
After seven rounds, Taranaki sit tenth with 19 points from three victories and four defeats. Southland remain twelfth on 13 points, their two wins offset by five losses. The result keeps the hosts half a dozen points clear of the visitors in the standings, and that margin matters when the season reaches its business end.
Taranaki's recent run had been uneven. They lost 25-27 to Manawatu and 24-28 to Bay of Plenty, but they also beat Auckland 28-12 and Canterbury 40-26. The loss to Northland 0-42 was the low point, and here they came back with a performance that ended a barren spell. To be fair, the old head settled them down when it mattered.
Southland had looked dangerous against Bay of Plenty, winning 43-12, but that form evaporated against Counties Manukau and Hawke's Bay. They lost 24-47 and 21-36 in consecutive weeks, and the defence switched off at the back. Things came to a head against Taranaki, and they could not recover.
Five tries to one in the try count would not surprise anyone watching the score, but the real story is in the points. Taranaki kept knocking on the door and then kicked it down. Southland gifted the goal on more than one occasion, and the high line was picked apart repeatedly.
The prediction had backed the hosts at 79 per cent confidence, and the result vindicated that assessment. Taranaki will make life awkward for anyone below them now, while Southland face a difficult run if they want to climb out of the bottom half. The table does not lie, and neither did Saturday.
