ROCKCOTE BULLS STUN FALCONS IN EMPHATIC UPSET
The Rockcote Canterbury Bulls have taken a huge step towards their first NZRL National Premiership final in four years, opening up their 2019 campaign with a convincing 28-18 victory over defending champs Akarana Falcons at Pulman Park.
The Bulls overcame the demands of travelling to Auckland on the morning of the match – and an early deficit – to carve out one of their best wins of recent seasons.
The underdogs trailed 12-0 midway through the first half but posted six unanswered tries, including a four-try flurry during the second stanza, to run away with the win. But while the Bulls produced several wonderful long-range tries, their gutsy scrambling defence was equally crucial to the boilover.
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Rockcote Canterbury Bulls co-captain Tevin Arona scored a hat-trick and laid on another in his side’s upset of Akarana Falcons.
The early signs were ominous for the Bulls, however, conceding a solo try to Falcons halfback Eiden Ackland in just the third minute.
Akarana doubled their advantage in the 21st minute with a try against the run of play. Francis Ledger intercepted a pass from opposing No.6 and captain Tevin Arona five metres out from the Falcons’ line, before linking with winger Simon Luafalealo to streak away.
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Jordan Coleman had a strong debut for the Bulls at fullback.
The Bulls landed on the scoreboard in the 28th minute through a brilliant piece of sleight of hand from Arona. The gifted playmaker jumped out of dummy-half and hit big winger Ben Ilalio were a superb cut-out ball near the Falcons’ line.
They received a massive boost on the stroke of halftime as 17-year-old phenom Caius Fa’atili unleashed his raw talent on the Falcons, bumping and fending his way through three tackles before sending Riccarton veteran Justin Lynch away for a try on Bulls debut.
Canterbury hit the front 16-12 at the 50-minute mark when Fa’atili exploded again. The back-rower powered into open spaces, covering 60 metres before firing an inside ball to Arona, who scooted away to score.
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Arona races away for the first of his three tries.
The momentum shift was palpable: Bulls wing debutant Regan Stanton finished off a backline shift soon afterwards, extending the lead to eight points following quick hands from second-rower Danny Latu and fullback Jordan Coleman.
The Bulls took a real stranglehold on the match with 15 minutes remaining on the back of a long break down the middle of the field from Ilalio.
A slick offload from second-rower Danny Latu found Arona again ranging up on the inside, the five-eighth zipping over for his second try.
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Danny Latu had a hand in back-to-back Bulls tries in the second half.
The visitors turned on the razzle-dazzle with 10 minutes left to seal an emphatic result. The rampaging Ilalio carved through the Falcons again and linked with the ever-present Arona, who bamboozled the cover defence to finish off a 70-metre special in the corner and complete a second-half hat-trick.
Akarana belatedly found a way past Canterbury’s ultra-committed goal-line defence to pick up a consolation try inside the last two minutes.
A possible knee injury to Fa’atili in the dying moments is a potential worry ahead of next week’s clash with Waikato in Hamilton – and the only possible negative to come out of an outstanding team performance from the Rockcote Canterbury Bulls.
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Teenage sensation Caius Fa’atili laid on two tries with big breaks, but finished the match nursing a knee complaint.
Rockcote Canterbury Bulls 28 (Tevin Arona 3, Ben Ilalio, Justin Lynch, Regan Stanton tries; Caius Fa’atili 2 goals) defeated Akarana Falcons 18 at Pulman Park, Auckland.
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The Bulls’ 10-point win had lock Michael Butson beaming.
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