{"id":31406,"date":"2026-08-13T01:40:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/?p=31406"},"modified":"2026-08-13T01:40:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:40:22","slug":"new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/2026\/08\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 3"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wellington<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
North Harbour<\/div>\n
Thursday, 7:10pm | Hnry Stadium, Wellington<\/div>\n
Over 64.5 ($1.95)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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It was another loss for Wellington on Saturday, as they fell to Auckland 31-34 at Western Springs Stadium. All eyes were on Du’Plessis Kirifi, starting at second five-eighth, and although he was good enough throughout the 80 minutes, but it was again the Lions’ defence that let them down. The hosts ended up running in six tries, despite Wellington enjoying the majority of possession and having more stability at set piece, as the Lions’ defence continually slipped off tackles and miscommunicated in the back line. Divad Palu proved to be a sturdy partner for Kirifi at centre, running regularly and defending staunchly, and Jake Turnbull had an industrious stint in the front row. Dominic Ropeti was also a busy man at blindside on both attack and defence and at the lineut, but did get caught out with a few missed tackles and penalties conceded.<\/p>\n

North Harbour emphatically recorded their first win of the season last Thursday, smoking Counties Manukau 59-19. After Round 1’s heartbreaker against Tasman, it was a deserved victory for Harbour, and they broke away late in the first half after a Motikiai Murray try followed by a Counties yellow card to burst away for a 38-5 half-time lead. The outstanding Murray scored his second shortly after the break to extend Harbour’s lead and it was all over from that point on, as Murray continued his excellent showing, along with his loosie buddy Jed Melvin. Jack Lee was also a strong figure defensively and at the lineout, while Rory Taylor, Tom Barham and Kade Banks showed real attacking spark.<\/p>\n

Harbour well and truly have their tails up heading into this game and that’s going to set up an exciting opener to Round 3. We have seen some seriously flaky defence from Wellington early on in the season and that’s going to continue here, especially as Kirifi remains at 12. This game is a coin-flip in terms of winner, but I am confident that this is going to be a very high scoring affair.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nOver 64.5 ($1.95)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nPower Plays \u2014 Israel Leota, Rory Taylor & Kade Banks 4+ Tries Combined ($7.00)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nIsrael Leota ($11 First, $1.73 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nIsrael Leota Try \/ James O’Reilly Try \/ Motikiai Murray Try ($11.49)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Northland<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Taranaki<\/div>\n
Friday, 7:10pm | Semenoff Stadium, Whang\u0101rei<\/div>\n
Northland +2.5 ($1.85)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Northland came agonisingly close to a shock win over Bay of Plenty on Saturday, but they couldn’t execute at the death, leaving Rotorua with a 31-34 defeat. With a lineout 5m out from BOP’s line with just two minutes on the clock, the Taniwha were in prime position to score a match-winner, but their ensuing maul was smothered and the try-scoring opportunity went begging. It was a doozy of a game and Northland were made to do plenty of defending, with Terrell Peita, Rob Rush and Marcel Renata leading the charge on that front, while Peita also starred with ball in-hand. The barnstorming No.8 finished with 17 carries, 19 tackles and two tries, while Grady Forbes did what all good opensides do, defending well and winning ruck turnovers. Nathan Salmon, Heremaia Murray and Hudson Creighton all had their moments, but Northland will be ruing their missed chances late on.<\/p>\n

Taranaki will be disappointed with how their game against Waikato played out last Friday, losing 32-38 at home. Scoring two of the first three tries in the game, the Bulls looked steady in the opening 25 minutes, but the wheels quickly fell off shortly afterwards. After being up 12-5, Taranaki leaked three tries in less than 10 minutes before the break to head into the sheds behind 12-26 and they never truly threatened the Mooloos from there, with Rocky Olsen knocking over a last-minute penalty to at least claim a losing bonus point. There were plenty of sloppy parts of the Bulls’ display, particularly on defence where they missed 31 tackles, and their set piece wasn’t much better. Meihana Grindlay had a memorable performance, with some threatening runs, as did Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Vereniki Tikoisolomone. Jesse Parete scored a couple of close-range tries and notched up 20 tackles in a busy showing, but there is a lot for Taranaki to tidy up heading into Friday’s clash.<\/p>\n

Taranaki have made some crucial changes to their 23, seeing Grindlay, Kaylum Boshier and Arese Poliko drop out of the team and that could prove to be very costly against this sharp Northland outfit. Following a big win over Manawat\u016b and a narrow loss on the road to BOP, it’s clear that the Taniwha are no pushovers in 2026 and I fear the Bulls are in trouble on the road, with Northland’s big, cohesive pack and dangerous backs set to cause an upset here.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nNorthland +2.5 ($1.85)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nNorthland -5.5 ($3.00)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nNathan Salmon ($12.50 First, $1.92 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nNathan Salmon Try \/ Heremaia Murray Try \/Adam Lennox Try ($14.59)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Canterbury<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Bay of Plenty<\/div>\n
Saturday, 2:05pm | One NZ Stadium, Christchurch | Ranfurly Shield<\/div>\n
Canterbury -10.5 ($1.87)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Canterbury claimed the Ranfurly Shield for the 18th time in their storied history, beating Otago 19-15. It was a classic nail-biter with the Log o’ Wood on the line, with neither team enjoying a double-digit lead at any point in the match, but there was almost always a sense of Canterbury being in control. Brodie McAlister crossed for the first try of the game on the back of a lineout driver and the challengers never trailed from that point on, with the hooker’s second try, also from a maul, with less than 15 minutes on the clock giving Canterbury a 19-8 lead. It was a somewhat nervous finish from the visitors, as Otago scored and were then knocking on the door of the visitors’ 22 in the dying moments, but the red and blacks did enough to hold on and reclaim the Shield. It was a gritty game which saw a number of their forwards really stand up, namely Dominic Gardiner (23 tackles, 4 defenders beaten), Corey Kellow (21 tackles, 2 turnovers, 1 try), while Jone Rova and Richie Mo’unga had moments of class in the backs.<\/p>\n

Bay of Plenty got out of jail against Northland last week, escaping with a 34-31 victory. It was a tight finish in Rotorua, as Northland had a 5m lineout in what was essentially the last play of the game, but the Steamers defence held on thanks to Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi who made a mess of the Taniwha line out drive and won possession back to allow BOP to secure the win. It was an entertaining battle that saw both sides play with plenty of freedom, and it was Nikora Broughton who was the star man for the hosts, scoring two tries, racking up 23 carries and, through them, beating nine defenders and recording two line breaks in what was one of the performances of the season so far. Joe Johnston had another industrious game and Regan Ware had some good runs to help BOP get their first win of the year.<\/p>\n

Canterbury aren’t pulling any punches in their first Shield defence of this tenure, with all of their big guns suiting up again on Saturday. I haven’t been all that impressed by the Steamers’ start to the season and that’s going to make for a very tough matchup here, with the tight and tactical play of Canterbury set to cause them all sorts of headaches. The 10.5-point line looks to be too low.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nCanterbury -10.5 ($1.87)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nCanterbury 11-20 ($3.50)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nDallas McLeod ($15 First, $2.10 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nDallas McLeod Try \/ Ngatungane Punivai Try \/ Nikora Broughton Try ($12.75)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Auckland<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Hawke’s Bay<\/div>\n
Eden Park, Auckland | Saturday, 5:05pm<\/div>\n
Auckland +6.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Auckland rebounded from their Round 1 loss to Canterbury to beat Wellington 34-31 last week. In a rare game at Western Springs Stadium, the hosts found themselves down 17-26 with less than 30 minutes to play, but turned up the heat in the final quarter to score three tries, with a late yellow card to the Lions helping to open up the space for Pita Ahki to stroll over and effectively win the game with just a few minutes remaining. It was a largely patient display of footy from Auckland, even if their discipline issues continued to creep in, as they held their nerve late in the piece to pick up the win. Payton Spencer was a handful for the Lions’ defence, especially in the first half, and Issak Fines-Leleiwasa had a strong all-round showing in his first start at halfback, while Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo and Che Clark were damaging up front.<\/p>\n

Hawke’s Bay blew Tasman out of the park on Saturday in what was a thrilling 50-19 triumph. The Magpies’ early onslaught was merciless, as Hunter Morrison, Lukas Ripley and Tyrone Thompson all crossed for tries inside the opening 15 minutes for a 19-0 lead. Bailyn Sullivan then scored Hawke’s Bay’s fourth before the half-hour mark and by the break it was 33-5 to the hosts, effectively making it game over at that point. The Magpies continued to inflict more damage in the second half to bring up the half-century. There were a number of standouts for the hosts, with Morrison, Cooper Flanders, Harry Godfrey and the Sullivan brothers among them.<\/p>\n

Hawke’s Bay are humming heading into this encounter but Auckland will be eager to fend them off on their home turf. It’s an all-new front row for the hosts, while Rico Simpson shifts to fullback in a promising move. Auckland will look to match the Magpies’ flair are runs, and they certainly have the personnel in the backs to do so, making them a worthy bet as home underdogs.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nAuckland +6.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nAuckland ($2.80)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nDarby Lancaster ($10 First, $1.60 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nDarby Lancaster Try \/ Rico Simpson Try \/ Cooper Flanders Try ($15.50)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Manawat\u016b<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Otago<\/div>\n
Saturday, 7:10pm | Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North<\/div>\n
Otago -13.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Manawat\u016b pulled off quite the comeback against Southland on Sunday in what was an fantastic end to the round. Trailing 7-28 shortly after half-time, it looked like Manawat\u016b were down and out, with their attacks regularly coming up fruitless and their defence really struggling to come up with the running of the Stags. However, a sharp try from Jordi Viljoen kicked the Turbos into gear, with Kyle Brown showing some good speed shortly after to cut the margin to just nine points. Another Stags try with 15 minutes to play looked to again bury the hosts, but Reece MacDonald and Alani Fakava had other ideas, quickly scoring to make it a four-point game before Brayden Iose heroically dived over in the corner after the hooter to score a scrappy, dramatic and thrilling game-winner. The No.8 was one of Manawat\u016b’s best on the night, with 14 carries and 13 tackles, while TK Howden again got stuck right in with 28 tackles. Kyle Brown was also hugely impactful, with a couple of key turnovers and a try in what was a memorable game for the centre and for the Turbos.<\/p>\n

Otago will be gutted to have had to hand over the Ranfurly Shield after just one successful defence (vs North Harbour last year), as Canterbury came to town and won 15-19. As expected, it came in a very physical and tight contest between perhaps the two best teams in the competition, but Otago looked slightly below the class and the quality of their Canterbury counterparts for most of the game, which ultimately ended up being reflected in the result. The crucial moment came on the stroke of half-time, as the hosts failed to hold out Canterbury on their goal-line, making the score 3-12 to the challengers at the break. Despite yet another Lucas Casey try, followed by a close-range Benjamin Lopas five-pointer to get the hosts within striking distance, Otago couldn’t find the finishing touches in the dying minutes, thus seeing their reign come to an end. Jake Te Hiwi led from the front in the midfield with eight carries and beating nine defenders, while Jae Broomfield had another impressive showing on the wing and the running and kicking game of Jona Nareki on the other wing resulted in some positive moments.<\/p>\n

Manawat\u016b have made some key changes this week, with Iose out of the 23 and Reece MacDonald moving from #10 to fullback, seeing George Worboys start at first five-eighth. It remains a decent Turbos lineup, but in their first big challenge of the season, I expect them to be well outclassed. The elite pack of Otago’s is going to win plenty of ball and make relatively easy metres, and we know how good at finishing Otago’s outsides can be when given chances.<\/p>\n

Best
\nOtago -13.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nOtago 11-20 ($3.30)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nJae Broomfield ($10 First, $1.64 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nJae Broomfield Try \/ Alani Fakava Try \/ Joel Lam Try ($10.77)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Southland<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Waikato<\/div>\n
Sunday, 2:05pm | Rugby Park, Invercargill<\/div>\n
Southland +14.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Southland will be kicking themselves after crashing to a 36-35 defeat to Manawat\u016b on Sunday. With just 4 wins from their prior 34 road games (dating back to 2019), the Stags know better than anyone how hard it is to win on the road in the NPC, and they were oh so close to picking up an elusive \u2014 and impressive \u2014 win away from home on Sunday, leading 28-7 Hayata Taniyama try less than five minutes into the second half. However, the wheels devastatingly fell off for Southland from there, leaking a couple of tries, before Michael Manson gave the Stags some momentum again, after regathering a Jimmy Taylor chip kick for a try and a 35-19 lead with just 15 minutes left on the clock. However, Southland’s defensive woes stuck again, allowing three quick-fire tries from Manawat\u016b, including the match-winner after the siren to lose what can only be described as a heartbreaker. Despite coming close to a win, it was a rather messy performance from Southland, conceding 20 turnovers and missing 38 tackles to let the Turbos back into the game. Sean Withy toiled away, as did Jack Sexton, while Taniyama had some nice attacking touches, but his defence was well below-par.<\/p>\n

Waikato made it 2\/2 to start their season, beating Taranaki 38-32 on Friday. It was an impressive showing from the Mooloo Men, especially considering that it took them over 20 minutes to get their first points on the board, but once they got going, Waikato proved to be very hard to slow down. Waisake Salabiau (twice), Michael Naitokani and Austin Anderson all crossed the line in the first half to make for a 26-12 lead at the break and Mason Tupaea scored early in the second stanza to effectively ice the game, although the Bulls did put together a late comeback to make the final score close. In all, it was a cohesive showing again from Waikato, with Naitokani having a rock-solid game at centre, Taha Kemara pulling the strings expertly and Dan Sinkinson having some dangerous touches.<\/p>\n

The Mooloos are in fine form and are deserved favourites here, but the Stags are being underrated. It’s a workhorse of a pack that Southland have at their disposal but perhaps the biggest change this week is the introduction of promising first five-eighth Mika Muliaina, seeing fellow youngster Jimmy Taylor shift to fullback. Waikato will win this game, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nSouthland +14.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nWaikato 1-12 ($3.30)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nWaisake Salibiau ($10 First, $1.60 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nWaisake Salibiau Try \/ Xavier Roe Try \/ Sam Fischli Try ($12.58)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Counties Manukau<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Tasman<\/div>\n
Sunday, 5:05pm | Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe<\/div>\n
Under 63.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Counties Manukau were simply awful last Thursday, losing to North Harbour 19-59. Outside of the opening 15 minutes, the Steelers seldom looked like they were in control of proceedings, with their defensive woes allowing the hosts to run riot all night long. Counties missed a shameful 45 tackles, with just a 74% tackle completion rate, which saw Harbour notch up 15 line breaks. Antonio Popoali’i worked hard before leaving the game late with an injury and Cameron Church got involved often, but if Counties continue their form and effort level from the opening two rounds, it’s going to be a long season in Pukekohe.<\/p>\n

Tasman have also been underwhelming to begin their 2026 campaign, following up their narrow win over Harbour with a 19-50 defeat against Hawke’s Bay last week. Virtually nothing went right for the Mako in Napier, conceding almost a point per minute for the opening half-hour of play, and matters were made worse when Eli Oudenryn left the game with an apparent arm injury and Cooper Roberts failed an HIA. There were no chances for Tasman to get back into the fight from there, as the Magpies continued to heap on the pressure and the Mako continued to throw away possession. Come the end of the game, they had conceded 20 turnovers and nine penalties, despite David Havili and Johnny Lee having sharp outings.<\/p>\n

Both teams are missing some key players this week, with both Popoali’i brothers out of action for Counties, while Roberts and Oudenryn are out for the Mako, but they have a very handy replacement hooker available in the form of Richie Asiata. Those changes are going to hurt both teams, especially on the attacking side of the ball, and I am not picking the most riveting game of rugby to end the weekend. The under is 7-4 in Tasman’s last 11 games on the road and that is the way that I am betting on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nUnder 63.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nTasman 1-12 ($3.30)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nJoshua Gray ($14 First, $2.02 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nJoshua Gray Try \/ Johnny Lee Try \/ Nic Sauira Try ($12.14)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was another loss for Wellington on Saturday, as they fell to Auckland 31-34 at Western Springs Stadium. All eyes were on Du’Plessis Kirifi, starting at second five-eighth, and although he was good enough throughout the 80 minutes, but it was again the Lions’ defence that let them down. The hosts ended up running in six tries, despite Wellington enjoying the majority of possession and having more stability at set piece, as the Lions’ defence continually slipped off tackles and miscommunicated in the back line. Divad Palu proved to be a sturdy partner for Kirifi at centre, running regularly and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":31122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[632,583],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-31406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rugby-union","tag-npc","tag-rugby-union-tips"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":"","md_tip_date_end":"","md_market_url":"","tip_date":"13\/08\/2026","event_country":"New Zealand"},"yoast_head":"\nNew Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 3 - TAB NZ Punters Lounge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/2026\/08\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 3 - TAB NZ Punters Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It was another loss for Wellington on Saturday, as they fell to Auckland 31-34 at Western Springs Stadium. All eyes were on Du’Plessis Kirifi, starting at second five-eighth, and although he was good enough throughout the 80 minutes, but it was again the Lions’ defence that let them down. The hosts ended up running in six tries, despite Wellington enjoying the majority of possession and having more stability at set piece, as the Lions’ defence continually slipped off tackles and miscommunicated in the back line. Divad Palu proved to be a sturdy partner for Kirifi at centre, running regularly and…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/2026\/08\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TAB NZ Punters Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-12T13:40:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-12T13:40:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Canterbury-NPC_1200x675-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"TAB Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"TAB Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"TAB Staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b3f2cd524f48fb8761f248e3dd68b3b0\"},\"headline\":\"New Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 3\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-12T13:40:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-12T13:40:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":7,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/Canterbury-NPC_1200x675-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"NPC\",\"Rugby Union Tips\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Rugby Union\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-NZ\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tab.co.nz\\\/punters\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-3-3\\\/\",\"name\":\"New Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 3 - 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