Fletcher Smith pleads his case to referee Cam Stone as Canterbury celebrate an NPC win. A scrappy contest ended in controversy and confusion as the NPC resumed in Hamilton on Friday night, with Canterbury clinging to a 20-19 win over Waikato. As Smith was setting to take his shot at goal, the Canterbury defence rushed forward despite the Waikato No 10 not appearing to have begun his kick motion. His initial attempt missed, but given the early rush from the Canterbury defence, Smith was adamant he should get another shot. It was a strange end to a strange game in which Canterbury spent the majority the time defending the Waikato attack, then pinching tries on counter attacks.

Source: New Zealand Herald September 17, 2021 10:30 UTC