Canterbury defeated Waikato 62:26 in the Bunnings NPC on 11 October, extending their advantage at the summit of the table. The result leaves the hosts on 40 points from 10 games, two wins clear of the chasing pack. Waikato remain in eighth place with 30 points, their five defeats showing in the standings.
Canterbury have now won five matches in a row, including a 36:14 victory over Waikato earlier in the season. The pattern of results is unmistakable — they have beaten everyone they have faced this season except twice. The margin of victory on Saturday was not an accident, and here's the thing: they have been building toward this kind of dominance all year.
Waikato's form has been less consistent. They lost 33:50 to Taranaki last Saturday and have since dropped games against Northland and Canterbury. To be fair, they did manage wins against Wellington and Manawatu, but those results do not hide the fact that they are struggling to find rhythm.
The contrast between the two teams is visible in their recent meetings. Canterbury beat Waikato 36:14 on 5 September, and this time the gap widened further. By then, the hosts had already established themselves as the team to beat in the competition.
Canterbury's position at the top of the table is now unassailable unless they slip. They have only two losses from ten games and their goal difference speaks for itself. Waikato, meanwhile, still have work to do if they want to climb out of the bottom half.
