Auckland, Northland and Waikato have scored big Premiership wins in the opening round of the Farah Palmer Cup.
An average of 11 tries were scored in six eventful opening round matches, where a bundle of debutants announced their arrivals, Counties Manukau made history in their trouncing of Canterbury and defending Premiership champions Auckland won comfortably with 11 debutants.
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Auckland opened the season with a convincing 48-17 win against the 2023 Championship winners Northland at Eden Park on Friday night.
The Kauri took it to Auckland initially and led 12-7 after the opening quarter. Auckland lost Rori Wood to a yellow card in the 25th minute but Northland could not capitalise as Auckland scored while a player down.
There were 17 debutants across both squads, with Storm wing Levonah Motuliki especially eye-catching. Nicknamed 'Jet', Motuliki played New Zealand Secondary Schools netball and sevens in Japan. Prop Jorja Fruen was another youngster who flourished, while Daynah Nankivell was rampant in midfield.
Northland was missing some big names, including Black Ferns Krystal Murray and Charmine Smith, but can take heart from their opening.
Arlia MacCarthy scored the first try of the season with a searing outside break. Lilly Wikitoria Rogers ran powerfully and made 16 tackles and Lilly Murray-Wihongi made 13 tackles.
The Heat defeated Canterbury for the first time since 2015, which was also the last time Canterbury started the season with a loss, with a 47-24 result in Pukekohe.
Counties halfback Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu scored 17 points in the 52-15 onslaught in 2015. The former Black Ferns captain did not contribute to the scoresheet in this encounter but helped spearhead an outstanding effort from a sizable, mobile pack and a backline eager to attack from anywhere.
Canterbury struggled to contain the direct approach from the Heat, with flanker Leitisia Vehekite, prop Ti Tauasosi (12 tackles) and No 8 Harono Te Iringa a hive of activity.
Midfield debutant Shoshanah Seumanutafa combined 17 tackles with repeated breaks that gave outsides Jaymie Kolose and Enosa Taifau plenty of chance to stretch. Women's Rugby World Cup-winning Black Fern Hazel Tubic played with authority in the No 10 jersey.
No 8 Laura Bayfield (14 tackles, 48 meters run) and wing Fia Laikong were the best for the visitors, who suffered just their fifth defeat in the last 57 games. Canterbury lost back-to-back games to start 2015.
Waikato always led against brave Bay of Plenty, who secured a valuable four-try bonus point, in the 42-26 victory in Hamilton.
Both hookers had a field day, with Volcanix debutant Jordyn Tihore scoring two tries in a lively start to her career, and former Black Fern Grace Houpapa-Barrett was even better for Waikato, with three tries, accurate throwing and trademark hustle.
Waikato’s inside backs Violet Hapi-Wise, Kirana Nolan and Chelsea Semple combined superbly, with Hapi-Wise scoring a try is an early contender for the best of the season.
Bay of Plenty flankers Holly Wratt-Groeneweg and Kendra Reynolds made 28 tackles combined.
In the Championship, Wellington snapped an eight-game losing streak holding Tasman scoreless in the second half of a 51-12 win in Porirua.
Harmony Kautai emulated the 2023 feat of Justine McGregor in scoring a hat-trick for Wellington in the opening round.
Angelica Schwencke was a powerhouse, halfback Milly Mackey vibrant and Sophie Irving a workhorse making 18 tackles. Among Tasman’s best were hooker Jett Hayward and centre Sarah Jones.
Te Atawhai Campbell pulled a rabbit out of a hat to help the Otago Spirit deny North Harbour a shock 24-21 victory in Albany.
Down 21-17 with time up on the clock, the 18-year-old replacement back stepped off the right foot, found a hole, and zoomed 40 metres, denying the Hibiscus their first win against Otago in eight years.
North Harbour steadied their scrum, toughened their defence and took the lead when replacement Rialani Onesemo-Tuilaepa crashed over with seven minutes remaining.
The Hibiscus – with 14 players on debut – defended well to keep the Spirit threats quiet early on. Wing Oceana Campbell’s footwork finally opened the hosts' defence and Zoe Frood scored in her 50th game.
The Spirit lost captain Julia Gorinski after 30 minutes due to a nasty cut on the knee, and Jamie Church made a try-saving tackle as North Harbour grew in confidence.
Sherre Hume was outstanding with two tries for Otago. Tsubasa Sasagawa, Isabella East Mikayla Suluape and Demielle Onesemo are names to keep an eye on in the North Harbour squad this season.
The Manawatu Cyclones were eyeing their biggest victory ever when they led Taranaki 55-0 at halftime in Palmerston North on Sunday.
Taranaki battled after the break, losing 86-7, as Manawatu came up short of their 88-0 win over Tasman in 2020. Centre Louise Blyde made a dozen tackles and scored a try and lock Gemma Gardner-Harrison made 21 tackles.
For Manawatū, one of the favourites to win the Championship in 2024, openside Elinor-Plum King continued her fine form from Super Rugby Aupiki, former Irish international Molly Scuffil-McCabe scored a hat-trick and Kahurangi Sturmey was damaging.
FARAH PALMER CUP RESULTS - ROUND 1
PREMIERSHIP
Auckland 48 (Braxton Sorenson-McGee, Levonah Motuliki, Daynah Nankivell 2, Le'Oxeayn Maiu'u 2, Sulieti Halafihi, Eloise Blackwell tries; Braxton Sorenson-McGee 4 con) Northland 17 (Arlia MacCarthy, Anthea Jane Young, Lily Murray-Wihongi tries; Tyler Nankivell con). HT: 19-12
Counties Manukau 47 (Leitisia Vehekite, Jaymie Kolose 2, Harono Te Iringa, Katarina Enosa-Taifau, Mele Latu’ila, Hazel Tubic tries; Hazel Tubic 6 con) Canterbury 24 (Fia Laikong 2, Kilisitina Vea, Winnie Palamo tries; Abigail Paton con, Caitlin Sears con). HT: 21-5
Waikato 42 (Montessa Tairakena, Violet Hapi-Wise, Grace Houpapa-Barrett 3, Kiriana Nolan, Lela Ieremia tries; Chelsea Semple 2 con, pen) Bay of Plenty 26 (Jordyn Tihore 2, Grace Parata-Stewart, Payton Takimoana tries; Kelly Brazier 3 con). HT: 27-7
CHAMPIONSHIP
Wellington 51 (Angelica Schwencke 2, Drenna Falaniko 2, Harmony Kautai 3, Milly Mackey, Tess Woldring tries; Milly Mackey con, Anyis Landon-Lane 2 con) Tasman 12 (Avau Filimaua, Lucy Brown tries; Sarah Jones con). HT: 22-12
Otago 24 (Zoe Whatarau, Sherre Hume 2, Georgia Cormick, Te Atawhai Campbell tries; Sherre Hume 2 con) North Harbour 21 (Izzy East, Mikayla Suluape, Rialani Onesemo-Tuilaepa tries; Mikayla Suluape 3 con). HT: 5-7
Manawatū 86 (Alesha Williams 2, Molly Scuffil-McCabe 3, Jayme Nuku, Ngano Tavake, Wikitoria Doyle, Elinor-Plum King, Kahurangi Sturmey, Kaia Walker-Waitoa 2, Patricia Heihei, Holly Powell tries; Maia Davis 8 con) Taranaki 7 (Louise Blyde try, Laura Claridge con). HT: 55-0