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“Attacks pays off for rampant Mustangs”

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Description: These images were taken by Dean Shirriffs for the Evening Standard, the first of which was published on the 18th of September 2000 with the caption: “Jet-Propelled: Ohakea and Manawatu winger Trevor Baker blasts past Taranaki's Vinnie Hill yesterday.”

The article by Tony Coffin read: “An emphasis on attacking at training this week proved the difference when the Manawatu Mustangs stormed past last year's first division rugby league side Taranaki by 28-18 at Memorial Park yesterday.

Back in charge as coach for the first time this week, Peter Sixtus has concentrated on working at scoring points and leaving defence up to the players on the field.

Sixtus said the win would give his side confidence for next Sunday's New Zealand Rugby League Challenge Cup battle against holder Coastline at Tauranga.

Coastline, which lifted the cup off Taranaki 36-30 last week, yesterday defended it at Whakatane with a 50-24 walloping of Northland.

"I'll be working on defence this week, but last week we needed to work out our attacking combinations," said Sixtus. "I was disappointed early on with the way we coughed up ball by pushing passes but once we got our forwards going ahead it gave our backs space."

Taranaki coach Alan Jackson was disappointed the backs didn't capitalise on the space created by his rampaging forwards.

Giving up the coaching reins had a major impact on Manawatu's game as previous coach Sonny Whakarau was either charging up the field setting up two tries with deft passes or stopping the big Taranaki forwards.

Once scrumhalf Damien Turner was given space and standoff Marcus Edwards unexpectedly came off the bench in the 15th minute, Manawatu made many breaks out wide and only some wayward passes stopped it scoring tries. Taranaki bombed three first-half tries with forward passes or knock-ons.

Manawatu's man-of-the-match wing Pat Naenae and fellow outsides Moni Pue and Terry Clune had little trouble busting through gaps on the outside.

Up front Whakarau, Mark Graham and Lui Vete never stopped tackling the bigger Taranaki forwards.

Tries from Hamish Puohotaua and Michael Timoti put Manawatu ahead 10-4 at the break. In the second spell all Manawatu's four tries, scored by Vete, Willie Whakarau, Edmonds and Naenae had class stamped over them.

Taranaki's Manawatu and New Zealand softball representative Shaun Marino was a constant problem for the Manawatu defence, setting up two tries and scoring one himself.”