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Jacomb adds the extras to put the home side into the lead going into the break!

Smashed downfield, and MacDonald gathers deep inside the 22. He bursts away past the chaser and up out of the 22 before offloading in contact. Popped infield looking for the 50/22, but Taranaki manage to keep it infield and return it back downfield. Moeakiola carries it back into contact up the left wing over halfway before he's pulled down. Recycled through the width of the pitch to the right wing, but they're going nowhere. Back again to the left wing where Howden eats up a metre or two. Momsen on the inside manages to get it up to the 10. 

Blake with a change in angle there to obstruct the chase, and he's going off to the bin! 

Momsen on the inside is stopped short on the 5, and Iose stopped short as he picks and drives just on the left of the post. Quick hands through to the right wing where Filimone drives up, but he gets isolated on the floor and the Bulls have turned it over on the floor! They clear up to halfway. 

Momsen gets it up over halfway on his carry. Wide to the right wing where Lord makes a strong tackle, and that's forced the ball loose! The home side smash the kick downfield, and Armstrong-Ravula has to track back to his tryline to scoop that one up. He clears up to the 10. 

Great kick from Armstrong-Ravula to add the extras from out on the left touchline. 

Out to the right wing where MacDonald bursts away again! He manages to get the offload away out the back as the cover defence closes in, and Wild barges up into the 22 with ball in hand! He's isolated on the floor though, and Taranaki have won the penalty on the floor !

Lineout set up halfway up the 22. Maul formed, but the counter shove from the Turbos is too early and the arm is out for advantage! Toed through in the midfield to chase, but MacDonald does well to scoop it up and that will take us back for the penalty. 

Deep restart onto Taranaki, and Sa is sent up into contact onto the 22 line. Quick hands on the right wing gets them up out of the red zone. Parete back on the inside makes another couple of metres before it's sent back to Samate for the kick ahead. Armstrong-Ravula gathers inside his 22 and can find the exit up over halfway. 

Extras added from just to the right, and it's a 2-point game again! 

The conversion slips in off the left post from out on the left. 

Late changes for both sides here. Taranaki have lost O'Neill off the bench, which gives Marika Parker a spot as a replacement prop. For Manawatu it's Brett Cameron who withdraws from the squad due to illness. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula will start at 10, with Sam Coles filling the gap on the bench. 

Loose ball at the restart is knocked back by Naholo, but scooped up on the floor by the visitors! Iose with a strong carry that makes a couple of metres before Viljoen puts it high off the boot. Naholo gathers on halfway, tight to the left touchline. Recycled on the inside and then smashed ahead by Jacomb onto Coles who runs it back up into contact. 

Taranaki's only two losses so far in 2024 have come at the hands of the Wellington Lions in round two and the Bay of Plenty Steamers in round 6, with two good wins since then over the Hawke's Bay Magpies and North Harbour. Despite their strong winning record this season, it's very tight near the top of the table and the Bulls will be looking to take all available points from this clash to put them in the best possible position on the log. A bonus point win here would put them level on points with Wellington, but behind them by virtue of their head-to-head result earlier in the season. 

Lineout set up just over halfway. Lord off the top, and it's Naholo who barges up into contact. Wide through the hands to the right wing where it's Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens who bursts away up the touchline! He manages to offload back on his inside as he's pulled to ground just outside the 22, but the ball is spilled into touch. Back for an offside penalty. 

Lineout set up halfway up the 22. Messy lineout again from the Bulls, and it's taken by Manawatu! They smash the kick downfield, but haven't cleared to touch. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens gathers the high ball and carries it back up the right wing into contact. Recycled on the inside where Riccitelli is caught isolated, and the visitors have the penalty!

It's the penultimate round of the NPC, and just one weekend clash left to go as the Taranaki Bulls play host to the Manawatu Turbos this afternoon in New Plymouth. The Bulls are camped out at the top end of the table at the moment with just two losses so far from their 8 matches, while it's been another season to forget for the Turbos outfit with just a single win as they find themselves in prime position for the Wooden Spoon in 2024. 

Boshier brings the ball down into the maul, and they drive it up a couple of metres before Manawatu are able to halt them. They flick it back to carry into contact, but it's a messy pass and the Bulls have knocked it on. 

Taranaki knock it on from the restart! Manawatu will have the scrum right outside the 22 on the right wing. 

Knee on the floor at the front of the scrum, but it's there for the Turbos and Cameron clears to touch up to the 10. 

This is very much anyone's game still, and Manawatu will be raring to go again in the second half when they get Blake back on the park. They will have to clean up their discipline though, because at the moment it's allowing Taranaki plenty of opportunities to put them under pressure and get down into the right areas of the pitch. 

Penalty to Taranaki at the scrum as Manawatu have too much weight on the bind for the second time. 

TEAM NEWS: Manawatu - The Turbos have made 10 changes to the starting side that went down 28-10 to Otago last weekend. George Blake, Sase Va'a and Feleti Sae-Ta'ufo'ou form a new front row. Josh Taula and Johan Momsen join forces at lock. Elyjah Crosswell's inclusion at openside flanker sees Mosese Bason switch to the blindside. Luke Campbell comes in at halfback for Jordi Viljoen who moves to the bench. Brett Cameron slots in at first-five for Reece MacDonald who shifts to fullback. Drew Wild moves into centre alongside debutant Caleb Leef, with Jason Emery dropping to the bench. Ataata Moeakiola replaces Pena Va'a on the left wing. 

Touch not found again! Taranaki come barging back up the right into contact for a couple of phases before it's chipped ahead to chase. Sharp blast on the whistle for contact off the ball there, and this might be trouble... 

Quick ball out the back of the scrum as the hooter sounds, and it's smashed quickly into the stands for the final whistle!

Booted downfield by the home side, and Manawatu return it back onto them on halfway. The Bulls drive back up over halfway with ball in hand, and they have advantage for a high tackle on Boshier here! Spread out to the left through a couple of phases, but it's going nowhere and Williams will call them back for the penalty. 

Lord gets up in the lineout to spoil Manawatu's fun, but he has knocked it on in the process. Scrum time. 

Early shove from Manawatu gifts Taranaki the free kick. 

Time off as Sa gets some patching up... On second thoughts, he's going to leave the park to deal with the blood. 

Touch not found! Jacomb sends it to Kooman to run it up the left wing before they switch back on the inside through the hands. Back for the kick ahead as they're going nowhere here... MacDonald sends the pass wide to Wild on the left wing, and he has to step back on the inside to avoid being thrown into touch. Massive carry from Sae-Ta'ufo'ou gets it up to the 10. 

Jacomb adds the extras from out on the right wing. 

Messy in the lineout, but Manawatu come away with it. Quick hands infield to Emery who is stopped short. Shift back to the right touchline where Filimone darts up to the 22. Recycled back on the inside where Wild is driven back, but there's a penalty for the visitors at the ensuing breakdown. 

Quick ball off the scrum is stripped in the tackle by Boshier! It's booted ahead, and knocked by Manawatu just behind the 10. 

Boshier brings the ball down into the maul, but Manawatu are forcing them towards touch here... Taranaki take it to ground, but then can't dig the ball out! The Turbos will have the scrum feed. 

Touch not found! The visitors collect it inside their 22 and chip it ahead back onto Taranaki. The home side barge right back up into the red zone! They drive it up for a couple of phases in the midfield before spreading it out to the right wing where it's toed through to chase, but it's scrappy and ends up bouncing into touch off a Manawatu hand. 

Messy ball at the restart, but the visitors have knocked it back and can clean up just inside the 22. Campbell with the box kick, and that's bounced into touch on halfway. 

The scrums and lineouts were a little messy at times, with both sides managing to get up and disrupt the opposition lineout feed while the Turbos kept shoving early at scrum time and Taranaki couldn't stay upright at the set at times. The result was that the backline were often having to play off the back foot from set pieces, but both teams' backlines looked excellent with ball in hand. Some quick flick passes, offloads, and some stunning stepping resulted in a couple of great breaks, with Wild for Manawatu bursting up the middle of the park and Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens for Taranaki using that wide channel out on the right wing to get onto the front foot. 

Lineout set up just over halfway. Boshier off the top, and infield it goes for a phase. Switch back to the shortside, and knocked on by Setu as he's caught in a crunching tackle by Momsen. 

Lineout set up in the left corner. Maul formed as Howden brings the ball down, but it's going nowhere. The Turbos spread it infield where Viljoen decides to dart up himself. Recycled to the right wing where Coles dodges back on the inside of one with a cheeky step, and manages to stretch for the line as he's pulled down in a double tackle on the chalk!

Lineout set up in the right corner. Popped quickly off the top and it's spread infield through the hands. There's a strong drive up under the posts, but they're just repelled off the line. Popped out to the left, and it's Sa with a monster leg drive to slam the ball down over the line!

Manawatu go blindside off the scrum to Moeakiola, and the winger goes bursting clean away! He dives into the corner with two hanging off him, and they're going to have to check this one... It looks like the ball has ever so briefly slid onto the chalk as he managed to free his arm there... Yes! TMO overturns the on-field no try call! 

Openside ball wide through the hands to the left wing where they dart up to the 10. Shift back on the inside for another carry before it's toed through from Wild, and that bobbles to touch just inside the 22. 

Jacomb pushes this one wide from out on the right wing. 

Lord knocks it on in the air as Momsen gets up to make a nuisance of himself! Manawatu spread it infield and then wide out to the right wing. Not making any ground here though... Back on the inside where Wild toes it through, and again it bobbles to touch, this time halfway up the 22. 

Quick ball off the top from Loft. Infield to Parete who is stopped short in contact, and Manawatu pinged for not releasing before going for the ball. 

What a contest! There are bodies strewn about the pitch with additional tape, tissues, and blood on plenty of the players after that one, but it's the Taranaki Bulls that manage to just pip Manawatu to the win. The Turbos came oh-so-close today, but their discipline late in the first half ended up costing them dearly as the home side were able to take advantage of multiple penalties down in the Turbos' half to get points on the board as the visitors found themselves a man down as well. That was the first time the Bulls hit the front in the match, and they never relinquished that lead again. 

Lord off the top, and infield they go. Momsen with a big tackle there to force the home side backwards. Jacomb sends it to Riccitelli, but the Bulls are now back on their 22... Jacomb puts it high. 

And we're off! Momsen secures the high ball, and it's slow on the floor before Campbell hoists it high. Taranaki gather on halfway and spread it wide through the hands to the right wing where Reti bursts up! He throws the dummy as well to keep going halfway to the 22. Back on the inside where Crowley flicks it to Setu for a go. Toed through to chase, but well taken by MacDonald who hoofs it downfield. 

Back into the left corner. Maul again, but it's going nowhere slowly here... Infield to Crowley who is stopped 2m short of the line. Pick and drives incoming here! Advantage called as well as they shift slowly infield through the phases. 