The Otago Spirit have sustained their first loss of the Farah Palmer Cup this season.
They were beaten 42-20 by a physical Northland Kauri side in Whangārei on Saturday.
It was a difficult game for the Spirit, who had won their first two games of the Championship season but struggled to control the Kauri when they needed to most.
There were glimmers of hope, though. Winger Jamie Church scored a lovely runaway try down the flank and Te Atawhai Campbell added impact off the bench to score late.
Former Black Ferns lock Charmaine Smith was monumental for Kauri, scoring a double, while Black Ferns prop Krystal Murray helped herself to a hat-trick.
Smith’s first of the day came in the seventh minute when Northland put in a massive shunt at an Otago scrum on the 22m.
It pushed Otago back into dangerous territory, and Northland stole the ball and added a couple of phases before Smith went over.
She was back at it again nine minutes later, intercepting Otago’s pass and helping herself to another five points in a piece of individual brilliance.
The Spirit struggled to get out of their half and the Kauri made them pay, picking up the ball and sending it to second five Aroha Savage.
She dazzled through a couple of defenders and was taken down just shy of the line, popping it up to Murray for her first try.
The home side jumped to 23-0 and alarm bells could have been ringing for the visitors.
Enter Church.
She made another blistering run 40m down the left, fending off a Kauri player to score in the corner.
Murray scored her second of the day and Keely Hill added another for the Spirit to trail 28-12 at the break.
The Spirit looked good with the ball in hand, but struggled to wrap the Kauri up on defence, missing 22 tackles in the first half.
They had the better of the start to the second half and Georgia Cormick slotted a penalty to close the gap to 11.
But the Kauri adjusted and remained strong. Murray barged through to complete her trio and Ocean Tierney scored to extend the lead.
The Spirit’s best of the day came in the 63rd minute. Cormick forced a 50-22 and Leah Miles took the ball up the field.
It shuffled through a few more handles before centre Cheyenne Cunningham swung a lovely skip pass out wide to Te Atawhai Campbell to finish it off.
The Spirit return home for their first game under the roof this weekend, playing North Harbour at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Farah Palmer Cup
The scores
Northland Kauri 42
Krystal Murray 3, Charmaine Smith 2, Ocean Tierney tries; Pohutukawa Karaka 6 con
Otago Spirit 20
Jamie Church, Keely Hill, Te Atawhai Campbell tries; Georgia Cormick con, pen
Halftime: Northland 28-12.
