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North Harbour snatch win over Northland to claim victory in thrilling opener to Mitre 10 Cup season

August 16, 2018

Relive 1 NEWS NOW's live coverage of the opening match of the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup, with North Harbour hosting Northland at QBE Stadium, Albany.

9:16pm: FULLTIME - North Harbour 21 Northland 20

Northland with one last chance, but Harbour force the knock on as the siren goes! Hall goes back to Gatland who clears and seals the win for Harbour!

9:14pm: 79 mins - North Harbour 21 Northland 20

Harbour give away a penalty with the front row collapsing and Debreczeni boots it downfield ahead of Northland's lineout.

Moulds throws, but Jacob Pierce steals it for Harbour! What a moment from the debutatnt.

9:10pm: 76 mins - North Harbour 21 Northland 20

Penalty!  Northland give away a penalty for not rolling away, and Bryn Gatland will have a chance to give Harbour the lead. Just shy of 50m, but he's hit it perfectly!

Harbour regain the lead.

9:05pm: 71 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 20

Ranger makes a brilliant burst down the left, before he looks for Wright inside him! The fullback can't hang on though as Dargaville saves a certain try. Questions over a high tackle, but the referee says its fine. Harbour hanging on here.

9:01pm: 68 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 20

Penalty!  Wright kicks over the top for Northland, but he's taken out without the ball! Debreczeni has the chance to put Northland ahead!

This time the kick's right in front - and he gets it! Robinson comes back onto the field now, Northland have scored 10 points while he's been in the bin.

8:59pm: 67 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 17

Northland with the advantage now, even with a man down. Harbour give away a penalty inside their own half and Debreczeni will go for the points. 

Debreczeni with the chance to put Northland ahead, but he's missed! Harbour hanging onto their lead.

8:53pm: 62 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 17

TRY!!!  Harbour fluff the lineout, the ball goes back to Debreczeni who kicks, but the ball doesn't go out and Duffie will counter!

Northland win the ball back and now they go forward! The forwards are holding firm despite being a man down, and Jono Kitto is through and scores! A try on debut for the young halfback and Northland are right back in this!

Debreczeni with the kick, and he's got it, we're back to a one-point game.

8:50pm: 59 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 10

Brilliant play from Harbour as a cross-field kick finds Dargaville! He finds Hunt and Harbour charge. They go wide, but Robinson intercepts, hang on - he's offside, and the referee shows him a yellow! Robinson will spend 10 in the bin as Harbour have an attacking lineout right on the line.

8:46pm: 56 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 10

Harbour go again! Duffie breaks down the wing, but Kara Pryor claims the ball at the turnover - he loses it though and Harbour will have a scrum. Bryn Gatland back on the field now.

Hall feeds, and Taramai runs off the back. Harbour's forwards looking to gain some ground. Hunt has a go, before Mafileo charges into the line. Stevenson goes before Parsons hits a gap. Taramai gives away a penalty though, Harbour throw away another opportunity.

8:42pm: 52 mins - North Harbour 18 Northland 10

TRY!!! Brilliant from Harbour. Shaun Stevenson has stepped into first-five with Gatland off, and he's shown his class. He breaks through the Northland line, drawing in the last man before finding Tevita Li outside him.

The winger has no issue dotting down in the corner to score. Bryn Hall will take the kick with Gatland off the field, and he's nailed it!

Brilliant from the halfback - Harbour extend their lead.

8:37pm: 48 mins - North Harbour 11 Northland 10

Northland give away a penalty and Harbour go quickly through Duffie! They've knocked it on though, another chance wasted by Harbour.

8:32pm: 43 mins - North Harbour 11 Northland 10

Penalty!  Play comes to a halt as Gatland stays down injured after a knock to the head. This looks nasty, his jaw's causing all the trouble.

Meanwhile, Debreczeni lines up a penalty, and he gets it.

8:29pm: 41 mins - North Harbour 11 Northland 7

We're back and ready to go for the second half. Northland to kick off this time around. 

Debreczeni gets things going.

8:19pm: HALFTIME - North Harbour 11 Northland 7

Nock feeds and Northland run the ball. Hohaia makes a burst down the left, before finding Ranger inside him. Ranger throws a ridiculous offload in the tackle, but no one can get there as Northland give away a penalty.

Harbour have a lineout as the siren goes. They knock the ball on and that'll be halftime.

8:15pm: 39 mins - North Harbour 11 Northland 7

Northland on the attack now as Debreczeni makes a break. Harbour turn it over though and Duffie kicks for the corner. Gatland is chasing, but Northland are back to defend. 

The ball goes back and Debreczeni clears, but the ball doesn't go out. Harbour go to Tevita Li who drops it! Bizarre bit of play all-round. Scrum Northland.

8:11pm: 34 mins - North Harbour 11 Northland 7

TRY!!!  Harbour again in a great position. Taramai goes close but is tackled, before Cowley-Tuioti does the same. They go wide to the right and Hunt scores! Harbour finally turn their dominance into points through their hard-working number seven.

Gatland with the kick, but he pushes it to the right of the posts.

8:07pm: 31 mins - North Harbour 6 Northland 7

Stevenson breaks down the left wing and is through, he fires an offload back to Dargaville - but he can't hang on! A certain try blown by Harbour! Scrum Northland.

8:05pm: 29 mins - North Harbour 6 Northland 7

Northland pinned on their own line as they try to go forward. Debreczeni clears, but Harbour counter. Dargaville makes a strong run before Nee-Nee puts Cowley-Tuioti into a gap. 

Ross Wright comes to the Taniwha's rescue though, winning the turnover.

8:01pm: 25 mins - North Harbour 6 Northland 7

Scrum for Northland as Harbour knock the ball on. Nock feeds but Northland give away a penalty! Mayhew the hero for the hosts.

Will Gatland take the points or go for the lineout? He'll shoot. Gatland lines up the kick, and this one's good too! Harbour trail by just one.

7:56pm: 20 mins - North Harbour 3 Northland 7

Harbour starting to look dangerous, Li makes a break before Hunt surges forward. Huge work from the Harbour forwards as they get past the 10m line. Gatland kicks over the top for Taramai but the ball goes out on the full! Chance wasted for Harbour.

7:53pm: 17 mins - North Harbour 3 Northland 7

Penalty!  Gatland is clobbered by Ross Wright, knocking the ball on and giving away a scrum. Harbour have been woeful these opening 10 minutes.

Nock feeds, but Northland can't control the ball and Harbour steal it! The referee has the arm out for offside against Northland as Harbour go wide. 

Stevenson and Li can't keep the ball alive, so play goes back for the penalty. Gatland points to the posts again. No mistake this time, and Harbour are on the board.

7:46pm: 11 mins - North Harbour 0 Northland 7

TRY!!!  Scrum for Harbour and they go blind to Tevita Li who makes good ground. Harbour over the 22 as Stevenson kicks, but not the desired result. Mayhew gets the ball back though. Harbour going forward slowely, but Northland intercept and counter!

Debreczeni puts Ranger through and he's away! Ranger powers downfield before drawing in the last defender, getting the pass away to Robinson who scores! What a counter attack from the Taniwha!

Debreczeni adds the extras and Northland hit the front.

7:41pm: 6 mins - North Harbour 0 Northland 0

Ranger runs off the back of the scrum and Northland look to move the ball. Debreczeni is smashed by Dargaville and Harbour win a penalty with Northland offside at the ruck! 

Great work from Dargaville, this time Gatland points to the posts.

He lines up his first shot at goal of the night, but he's missed. Terrible start to the night for Gatland.

7:39pm: 3 mins - North Harbour 0 Northland 0

Hang on, the referee stops play for possible foul play, the TMO is going to take a look.

It looks like Tom Robinson has tipped Gatland off the ball. Not worthy of a card, but penalty to Harbour again - but this one's even worse as Gatland kicks it dead!

7:37pm: 2 mins - North Harbour 0 Northland 0

Straight away Debreczeni kicks for the corner, before Shaun Stevenson returns fire. Northland kick back again and Gatland goes for the up and under. Kara Pryor is penalised and Harbour take the lineout.

The ball's not out though, Rene Ranger kicks but the ball goes out on the full. Harbour lineout.

7:35pm: KICK OFF - North Harbour 0 Northland 0

We're away! Bryn Gatland kicks off to get the Mitre 10 Cup going for another season!

7:30pm

Good evening and welcome to the start of the provincial rugby season! A wet night at QBE Stadium, but the North Harbour faithful are here to support their team tonight.

Northland the first side to make their way out of the tunnel, kick off not far away.

PRE MATCH

Having lost in last year's semi-final to eventual champions Canterbury, hosts North Harbour find themselves opening the 2018 season with a clash against Northland.

Northland, on the other hand, will be looking for promotion this season, hoping to build on a 2017 season that saw them finish fourth in the second-tier Championship.

Both sides are littered with quality, with Harbour boasting the likes of Super Rugby stars Matt Duffie, Dillon Hunt and Bryn Hall to name just three.

Northland on the other hand are also packing some household names, with former All Blacks Rene Ranger, and Melbourne Rebels first-five Jack Debreczeni in their ranks.

TEAMS

North Harbour : 1.Nic Mayhew, 2.James Parsons (captain), 3.Sione Mafileo, 4.Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 5.Ben Nee-Nee, 6.Glenn Preston, 7.Dillon Hunt, 8.Murphy Taramai, 9.Bryn Hall, 10.Bryn Gatland, 11.Tevita Li, 12.Harrison Groundwater, 13.James Dargaville, 14.Matt Duffie, 15.Shaun Stevenson.

Substitutes : 16.Loteru Tolai, 17.Mike Tamoaieta, 18.Chris Eves, 19.Jacob Pierce, 20.Sione Teu, 21.Gjaltema Lewis, 22.Loketi Manu, 23.Mark Telea.

Northland : 1.Ross Wright, 2.Matt Moulds, 3.Jack Straker, 4.Tom Robinson, 5.Josh Goodhue, 6.Murray Douglas, 7.Kara Pryor, 8.Jaycob Matiu, 9.Sam Nock, 10.Jack Debreczeni, 11.Rene Ranger, 12.Blake Hohaia, 13.Tamati Tua, 14.Jordan Hyland, 15.Matty Wright.

Substitutes : 16.Jordan Olsen, 17.Isifeli Tu'ungafasi, 18.Ropate Rinakama, 19.Kane Jacobson, 20.Matt Matich, 21.Jono Kitto, 22.Myles Thoroughgood, 23.Scott Gregory.

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