Counties hold Ranfurly Shield as Breakers bounce back in busy weekend of sports

Counties Manukau have finished their National Provincial Championship (NPC) campaign with the Ranfurly Shield still in their hands while the BNZ Breakers bounced back on the road and Charlisse Leger-Walker’s homecoming was cut short by injury.

Counties successfully defended the Shield with a gutsy 12-7 win over Hawke’s Bay in Pukekohe on Saturday.

The side had taken the famous trophy from Northland in the previous round and made sure it stayed put in Counties.

Captain Jimmy Tupou left the field with an injury in the 53rd minute but said he was proud of the way the team finished the campaign.

“I don’t think we could have won that game any better way,” Tupou told Sky Sport. “Some of those defensive sets I am so proud of.”

Counties finished 12th of 14 teams but the Shield gives the side and their supporters something to celebrate.

Ioane Moananu of Counties Manukau. Photo/Craig Butland/Photosport.

“I think every little inch of Counties has got the shield too,” Tupou said.

The NPC quarter-finals are now set. Northland will host Tasman on Friday at 7.10pm (NZT) while North Harbour face Taranaki at 2.35pm on Saturday, followed by Otago against Hawke’s Bay at 4.05pm.

Canterbury will then take on Waikato in the final quarter-final on Sunday at 1.35pm.

Breakers claim win but bittersweet debut for Leger-Walker

In basketball, the BNZ Breakers responded after two narrow away losses with an 88-72 win over the Adelaide 36ers.

The result takes the Breakers to three wins and two losses as they begin a five-game October road stretch.

Head coach Gordie Herbert was pleased with the way his side responded. “I thought our players had a great fight, we won battles, executed what we want to do defensively very well… and we won the rebounding,” Herbert told journalists post-match.

The Breakers head to Perth on Thursday before returning to Auckland to face Adelaide again at Spark Arena on 30 October.

It was a tough weekend for Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Charlisse Leger-Walker on her return to New Zealand.

Leger-Walker scored 19 points in the first half for the Tokomanawa Queens before suffering a calf injury in the third quarter of their 114-77 loss to Mainland Pouākai.

It was the Queens’ second defeat in six regular-season home games at Te Rauparaha Arena.

They next face Whai at home on Friday, 16 October at 7.30pm (NZT).

New Zealand fall to Australia

In rugby union, Australia’s Under 18s side beat New Zealand 31-19 victory at St Paul’s College in Hamilton.

Australian captain Justice Taumoepeau, a New South Wales (NSW) Waratahs product, made an impact at openside flanker and produced a try-saving tackle with five minutes to play.

Australia finished their three-game campaign unbeaten.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Māori Schoolboys ended their National Pathways Programme campaign on a high, beating Australia Schoolboys by 11 points.

Dettol National Football League

Soccer has also delivered plenty of goals in round two of the Dettol National Football League.

In the women’s competition, Eastern Suburbs beat Wellington Phoenix Reserves 3-10 while Auckland United edged Wellington United 1-0. In the men’s division, Cashmere Technical put 10 past Wellington Phoenix Reserves with Auckland City and Auckland United also picking up wins.

South Island Masters Games

The South Island Masters Games are also underway in Timaru, with more than 20 sports being contested through the week until 11 October.

Petanque has already produced winners with Ann Rutherford and Angela Taylor taking first place and Tony and Kay Morrison finishing runners-up

With more competition still to come in Timaru and the NPC finals now set, there is plenty more Pacific and New Zealand sporting action ahead this week.

For more details on the Masters Games, click here.