Waikato stun Tasman

What a difference a week can make in the national provincial competition. Waikato buried the anguish of last week’s one-point loss to Canterbury with a drought-breaking 39-22 win against the reigning champion Tasman Mako in Nelson last night. The Mooloos didn’t just snap a seven-match losing streak against the Mako, they recorded their first away win against Tasman in 14 years. They did it on the back of a superb defensive effort, in which they tackled like demons and were mighty pests at the breakdown. Waikato made a whopping 160 tackles to Tasman’s 48 during the first hour, yet had outscored the hosts four tries to one to lead 32-10.