Manawatu storm past Bay of Plenty in NPC upset
Bay of Plenty hosted Manawatu in the NPC on Friday night, and the visitors ran out comfortable 29-12 winners. We had backed the hosts at 83 per cent confidence, but the match went another way entirely.
And here's the thing - Manawatu arrived buoyed by that 43-40 thriller against North Harbour. They carried that momentum through and found space Bay of Plenty simply couldn't close down.
The hosts had looked solid against Auckland, winning 22-19, but the earlier results told a different story. Losses to Canterbury and Waikato meant they arrived with questions about their defensive structure.
Manawatu's own recent form was patchy - defeats to Hawke's Bay and Otago, a win over Southland. But against a Bay of Plenty side that had lost its man in key moments, they seized the initiative.
The scoreline reflected a game where the visitors played with freedom. Bay of Plenty had nothing to lose by then, but the pressure of home advantage weighed heavily on their shoulders.
By then the table had shifted considerably. Manawatu's victory extends their unbeaten run to three matches, while Bay of Plenty's slump deepens with this fifth loss in six outings.
The result matters beyond points. Bay of Plenty now sit outside the playoff positions, and the gap to the leaders has grown to eight points.
Manawatu, meanwhile, have kept their hopes alive in the top tier. They travel next with confidence, and the crowd will be watching closely to see if they can replicate this performance.