NPC Power Rankings Post Round 5

That is officially the first half of the NPC season in the books, and with another weekend behind us, it is time for us to update our competition power rankings.

14. Wellington | 0-5 | Previous Ranking: 13

In the battle for the wooden spoon, the Lions came out red-hot, flying to a two-score lead on the back of some of their more exciting players getting involved.

That lead quickly evaporated, though, and Counties were able to win the track meet in Wellington, leaving the Lions comfortably at the bottom of the rankings.

13. Counties Manukau | 1-4 | Previous Ranking: 14

Regardless of the win, Counties do not find themselves flying up the rankings, and plenty of that has to do with who they beat.

As mentioned, it looked like the Lions might get away from them early, but after Gibson Popoali’i got involved, Counties were able to claw their way back in front and never looked back.

12. Southland | 1-4 | Previous Ranking: 12

Southland were tasked with taking on the best team in the competition on a short week, at home in the freezing weather of the deep south.

In all honesty, with those factors at play, I felt like they were in with a chance of keeping it close, but once the Magpies got up and running, the home side were no match.

11. Auckland | 1-4 | Previous Ranking: 9

Friday night was another opportunity for Auckland to make a statement against a very solid Bay of Plenty side.

They had the lead in the second half, but once the quality of the Steamers’ loose forwards shone through, Auckland were unable to withstand them.

10. Manawatū | 2-3 | Previous Ranking: 11

Statement made by the Turbos on Saturday at home against North Harbour, who had made a dream start to the season.

Manawatū were the aggressors all night long, and on the back of a couple of really good performances from their game drivers, they were able to cause a well-deserved upset.

9. North Harbour | 3-2 | Previous Ranking: 6

I have been really impressed with the style of rugby North Harbour have been playing this season, but the reason they have dropped after the loss to Manawatū comes down to who they have beaten.

Yes, they have had a much better start to the season than expected, and they have been playing exciting footy, but all three of their wins have come against teams in the bottom four of these rankings. I am intrigued to see how they fare against opponents from the upper echelon.

8. Canterbury | 3-2 | Previous Ranking: 3

The spiral continues for Canterbury, who were top not long ago. After back-to-back losses, they now find themselves in eighth position.

In a couple of weeks, this might look like an overreaction, but for now, they look like they are spinning out of control and might have trouble righting the ship through the middle portion of the season.

7. Taranaki | 2-3 | Previous Ranking: 10

Taranaki make the jump of three spots because they finally looked like the side we expect them to be, based on the talent at their disposal.

Their outside backs were dominant against Canterbury and were unleashed by a forward pack led by Kaylum Boshier, who bullied the southerners’ pack.

Again, this could be an overreaction on my part, but they have always had the talent to pull off these kinds of wins.

6. Bay Of Plenty | 3-2 | Previous Ranking: 8

Bay of Plenty managed a solid win against Auckland on Friday night, and while it was not decisive, I have been really impressed with their forward pack, which should be able to make them a problem late in the season.

5. Tasman | 3-2 | Previous Ranking: 7

What a turnaround Tasman have made, and it might seem strange because they are coming off a loss to Northland.

But the way they have been going about their business recently has been impressive, and on a day with slightly different conditions, I feel they could have given Northland an even bigger scare.

4. Waikato | 3-2 | Previous Ranking: 5

Another side that lost but has gone up the rankings this weekend is Waikato. They took on Otago in a game I really liked their chances in, but they were unable to stop the Otago attack enough to come away with a win.

I still think they are a very dangerous side, and there is no doubt they could upset anyone at any time.

3. Otago | 4-1 | Previous Ranking: 4

As mentioned, Otago came away with the win over Waikato and moved to 4-1 on the season.

Overall, they are just a solid unit that seems to have a very high floor when it comes to performance levels. In a volatile competition like this, that is very important.

2. Northland | 4-1 | Previous Ranking: 2

Northland were able to defend the Shield in what was a massive challenge against Tasman, who gave them a serious run for their money.

They once again executed the dominant and powerful style of footy we have come to know them for this season, which has allowed them to retain second spot in these rankings.

1. Hawke’s Bay | 5-0 | Previous Ranking: 1

Business as usual for Hawke’s Bay, who were able to secure a solid victory on the road in tough conditions against the Stags, without their talisman, Harry Godfrey.

They showed they could operate through adversity and are an obvious choice to top the rankings once again.