QBE harbour win first preseason match

In wet and trying conditions, QBE North Harbour took its first steps into the new Mitre 10 Cup year with a convincing 19-0 win in their first pre-season match of the season against Northland. Both sides played only club players, with no Super Rugby players in either team. The conditions made things tough, but added to that was the fact that the game was played under the new laws, something which the Harbour players have had a little experience with given its Premier 1 competition started with them 3 rounds ago, but something that was new to the Northland team.

"We will take a bit out of the game" commented Head Coach Steve Jackson "It was a great opportunity for me to see the wider training squad in action, these guys have put it in for me on the training pitch for weeks now and it was good to give them something other than tackle bags to fire into. Whilst I have watched in recent weeks our club coaches come to grips with the new laws this was my first experience as a Coach with them in play, so I have a lot to take away in that aspect."

The game was scrappy at times with Harbour getting the jump with a well worked try to hard running No 8 Sootala Faaoso from the North Shore Club. Turning at the break with a 7-0 lead, Harbour quickly got into their work and were rewarded with two more tries to Dylan Lam from Massey and his clubmate Rheema Sagote Massey.

Mitre 10 Cup preseason Harbour Rugby vs Northland Rugby Union Fulltime score: North Harbour 19 (Tries: Sootala Faaoso, Rheema Sagote, Dylan Lam; Bryn Gatland con, Callum Law con) - Northland 0 HT 7-0