A slow start and a creaky scrum couldn't hold back Canterbury for long, as they secured their national provincial rugby championship home semi-final with a bonus-point 63-22 win over Bay of Plenty in Christchurch on Sunday.
After just one try in the opening 40 minutes, Canterbury ran in seven in the second spell to finish top of the premiership table and set up a semi-final against Taranaki at AMI Stadium.
It took 20 minutes for Canterbury to ease into the match, with only a Tom Taylor penalty separating the two teams until centre Robbie Fruean cantered over after Canterbury's powerful scrum finally provided some front-foot ball.
An exchange of penalties left Canterbury looking comfortable at 13-3 as halftime approached, but Bay of Plenty pressure at the restart forced a rare Canterbury mistake which was punished soon after as Leon Power bulldozed across.
Ahead 16-8 at the break, Canterbury came out firing.
Pacey winger Johnny McNicoll featured in the next two tries, scoring the first in a set move from an attacking scrum then drawing the defence to set up Adam Whitelock for the second two minutes later.
With the Bay defence in tatters, burly prop Joe Moody barrelled over for the bonus try to give Canterbury a 37-8 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Telusa Veainu, George Whitelock and Ryan Crotty all crossed in the last 13 minutes for Canterbury, while Fruean picked up his second as the score ballooned out.
The Bay kept battling, and maintained respect with tries to Maru Henry and Tristan Moran in the last quarter.
NZN
