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"Week 8" of the ITM Cup consists of the following fixtures:
Taranaki v Bay of Plenty - Aug 9th - 5:35 PM AEST
FORM:
Taranaki:
Round 1: lost to Wellington 5-23 (h)
Round 2: beat Waikato 30-23 (a)
Round 3: beat Northland 23-16 (a)
Round 4: beat Auckland 39-11 (h)
Round 5: lost to Manawatu 10-15 (a)
Bay of Plenty:
Round 1: beat Counties-Manukau 20-13 (a)
Round 2: beat North Harbour 38-17 (h)
Round 3: beat Waikato 36-8 (h)
Round 4: beat Wellington 32-0 (h)
Round 5: lost to Northland 23-30 (a)
WE THINK: "This match will be hard, no doubt about that, and will turn on small things. Neither side makes many errors and both are hard to break down – neither has yet given up 100 points for the season – so mistakes will hurt. There is a sneaky suspicion that the Bay's best XV is marginally better than Taranaki's and not much doubt about the goal-kicking at present, which suggests the visitors may be leaving with four hard-earned points. "
Canterbury v Waikato - Aug 10th - 12:35 PM AEST
FORM:
Canterbury:
Round 1: beat Auckland 40-33 (a)
Round 2: lost to Southland 19-22 (h, RS)
Round 3: lost to Wellington 28-37 (a)
Round 4: beat Manawatu 42-15 (h)
Round 5: beat Tasman 36-32 (a)
Waikato:
Round 1: beat Southland 19-9 (a)
Round 2: lost to Taranaki 23-30 (h)
Round 3: lost to Bay of Plenty 8-36 (a)
Round 4: beat Tasman 35-6 (h)
Round 5: beat Counties-Manukau 22-15 (a)
WE THINK: "This one could go either way without shocking anyone, so maybe it's safer to keep the rent money in your pocket. Canterbury appeals as the more dangerous attacking unit, although this call has to be tempered by the conditions Waikato has operated in this year. However, this greater threatening attacking lineup suggests the home side should get up, albeit narrowly."
Wellington v Northland - Aug 10th - 5:35 PM AEST
FORM:
Wellington:
Round 1: beat Taranaki 23-5 (a)
Round 2: lost to Auckland 17-21 (h)
Round 3: beat Canterbury 37-28 (h)
Round 4: lost to Bay of Plenty 0-32 (a)
Round 5: lost to Hawke's Bay 20-40 (a)
Northland:
Round 1: beat Tasman 19-9 (h)
Round 2: lost to Manawatu 22-30 (a)
Round 3: lost to Taranaki 16-23 (h)
Round 4: beat Otago 20-17 (h)
Round 5: beat Bay of Plenty 30-23 (h)
WE THINK: "If Northland is going to end its drought against Wellington, this year is an excellent opportunity. Northland's performance graph is heading upwards while Wellington's is going the other way and the visitors have the ability and energy to cash in. In what might be considered an upset, Northland by five appeals as a prediction."
Taranaki v Bay of Plenty - Aug 9th - 5:35 PM AEST
FORM:
Taranaki:
Round 1: lost to Wellington 5-23 (h)
Round 2: beat Waikato 30-23 (a)
Round 3: beat Northland 23-16 (a)
Round 4: beat Auckland 39-11 (h)
Round 5: lost to Manawatu 10-15 (a)
Bay of Plenty:
Round 1: beat Counties-Manukau 20-13 (a)
Round 2: beat North Harbour 38-17 (h)
Round 3: beat Waikato 36-8 (h)
Round 4: beat Wellington 32-0 (h)
Round 5: lost to Northland 23-30 (a)
WE THINK: "This match will be hard, no doubt about that, and will turn on small things. Neither side makes many errors and both are hard to break down – neither has yet given up 100 points for the season – so mistakes will hurt. There is a sneaky suspicion that the Bay's best XV is marginally better than Taranaki's and not much doubt about the goal-kicking at present, which suggests the visitors may be leaving with four hard-earned points. "
Canterbury v Waikato - Aug 10th - 12:35 PM AEST
FORM:
Canterbury:
Round 1: beat Auckland 40-33 (a)
Round 2: lost to Southland 19-22 (h, RS)
Round 3: lost to Wellington 28-37 (a)
Round 4: beat Manawatu 42-15 (h)
Round 5: beat Tasman 36-32 (a)
Waikato:
Round 1: beat Southland 19-9 (a)
Round 2: lost to Taranaki 23-30 (h)
Round 3: lost to Bay of Plenty 8-36 (a)
Round 4: beat Tasman 35-6 (h)
Round 5: beat Counties-Manukau 22-15 (a)
WE THINK: "This one could go either way without shocking anyone, so maybe it's safer to keep the rent money in your pocket. Canterbury appeals as the more dangerous attacking unit, although this call has to be tempered by the conditions Waikato has operated in this year. However, this greater threatening attacking lineup suggests the home side should get up, albeit narrowly."
Wellington v Northland - Aug 10th - 5:35 PM AEST
FORM:
Wellington:
Round 1: beat Taranaki 23-5 (a)
Round 2: lost to Auckland 17-21 (h)
Round 3: beat Canterbury 37-28 (h)
Round 4: lost to Bay of Plenty 0-32 (a)
Round 5: lost to Hawke's Bay 20-40 (a)
Northland:
Round 1: beat Tasman 19-9 (h)
Round 2: lost to Manawatu 22-30 (a)
Round 3: lost to Taranaki 16-23 (h)
Round 4: beat Otago 20-17 (h)
Round 5: beat Bay of Plenty 30-23 (h)
WE THINK: "If Northland is going to end its drought against Wellington, this year is an excellent opportunity. Northland's performance graph is heading upwards while Wellington's is going the other way and the visitors have the ability and energy to cash in. In what might be considered an upset, Northland by five appeals as a prediction."
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