Waikato — Manawatu: 36:27, Bunnings NPC

Waikato defeated Manawatu 36-27 in the Bunnings NPC on Saturday. The result lifts the hosts off the bottom of the table while the visitors remain in eighth place. The home side had lost four of their previous five matches before this turnaround.

Manawatu arrived well-rested after back-to-back wins against Taranaki and Bay of Plenty. They had won four of their seven games so far this season, sitting just one point ahead of Waikato. The visitors looked comfortable in the opening stages but could not maintain their rhythm for the full ninety minutes.

Our prediction called for a home win with 74 per cent confidence. That came through. Waikato stopped sitting back and started playing with intent, especially in the middle period when they extended their lead. Manawatu talked about keeping defensive shape but let the game flow at the wrong moments.

The hosts now move to ninth on 19 points, while Manawatu stay eighth with 20 points. The gap between them remains narrow in a tightly packed mid-table. Waikato's unbeaten run is not yet in place, but this result gives them something to build on before the next round.