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Points scoring machine Damian McKenzie has added 16 more to his tally as a young and exciting Waikato backline showed too much class for North Harbor on Saturday.
McKenzie, who scored 33 points in the Wellington demolition last weekend, backed that up with another good display, constantly threatening ball in hand while looking solid under the high ball.
The All Blacks also scored a beautiful try in the 44th minute, following a powerful midfield break from teammate Chief Quinn Tupaea in Hamilton.
Masanori Udagawa / Getty Images
Waikato fullback Damian McKenzie takes a shock after receiving a high ball against North Harbor on Saturday.
McKenzie ran a perfect line in support and exploded on Tupaea’s pass to push Waikato’s lead to 36-12, blowing the wind out of Harbor’s sails after they had scored the last two attempts of the first spell.
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The 24-point deficit was too much for Harbor to rebound, and while replacement midfielder Lewis Gjaltema’s try gave them some hope, they could never match Waikato’s ability with the ball in hand.
Masanori Udagawa / Getty Images
Halfback Xavier Roe shone against Waikato.
Tupaea was a handful in midfield, making a good combination with Anton Lienert-Brown, while Luke Jacobson bet on an All Blacks retirement with some nice touches at the back of the scrum.
The match was also something of a two-half game, with Waikato’s Xavier Roe and replacement Cortez Ratima looking good.
Roe caught two attempts in the first half, despite spending about 10 minutes in the blood tank, before leaving for good early in the second half.
Roe, 21, looks like a real class player and the Super Rugby contract is sure to continue if he continues in this form.
Masanori Udagawa / Getty Images
All Black Anton Lienert-Brown is tackled by Jared Page at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday.
However, Waikato lost little to the explosive Ratima in the paddock, and Waikato has clearly found a good mid-back punch.
Harbor’s best work came from his great men and Karl Tu’inukuafe had a great afternoon at scrum time.
After conceding the game’s first penalty, Tu’inukuafe soon got to work and looked like a human bulldozer against Waikato No. 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott.
His form will please All Blacks forward coach John Plumtree and scrum guru Greg Feek, and Tu’inukuafe appears to be moving toward the kind of form that saw him burst into the testing arena in 2018.
With Waikato playing with the winds at his back in the first half, Roe dived for the first try after 10 minutes.
The Hamilton Boys High School product identified a gap near the ruck and used its acceleration to cross the line.
An interception from No. 10 Fletcher Smith set up the second down just five minutes later, with Lienert-Brown producing a signature basketball pass for Tupaea and scoring all five points.
McKenzie’s dancing feet created a third down for Waikato after 21 minutes, with Roe running a good support line to trot over the line without touching.
Mitch Jacbson was available to attempt number 4 after 31 minutes, following a good half-break and unloading from replacement running back Ratima.
However, Harbor finished the half strong, with hooker Luteru Tolai and bolt Jacob Pierce both scoring after a powerful lineout.
Waikato 41 (Xavier Roe (2), Quinn Tupaea, Mitch Jacobson, Damian McKenzie, Valynce Te Whare Tries, Damian McKenzie, 4 with, pen) North Harbor 19 (Luteru Tolai, Jacob Pierce, Lewis Gjaltema tries, Bryn Gatland 2 with). HT: 29-12
MVP Points: Damian McKenzie 3, Quinn Tupaea 2, Karl Tu’inukuafe 1
