{"id":32785,"date":"2026-10-01T05:05:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/?p=32785"},"modified":"2026-10-01T05:05:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:05:34","slug":"new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-10-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tab.co.nz\/punters\/2026\/10\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-10-2\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 10"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Otago<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Auckland<\/div>\n
Thursday, 7:10pm | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin<\/div>\n
Over 65.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Otago were nowhere to be seen on the North Shore last week, losing to North Harbour 21-32. A win against Harbour would have put Otago in prime position for a first-place finish, but instead they can now finish as low as seventh thanks to last week’s result. It was their worst showing of the season, despite getting off to a ripper of a start with a 14-0 lead before the 15-minute mark. That advantage came somewhat against the run of play and Otago’s struggles became more obvious as the game went on as they failed to make dents in the hosts’ defence. With some more issues around their discipline and their lineout, it was the messiest that we have see Otago this season, and now they’re clinging onto their hopes of a top four finish. Riley Lucas was busy for Otago on the wing, with some damaging runs, including a try assist for Kieran McClea, and a good defensive showing. Jake Te Hiwi and McClea were solid, while Lucas Casey and Slade McDowall defended well in the pack.<\/p>\n

Auckland’s playoff chances went up in flames last week, losing to Manawat\u016b 34-40. Still with a chance of finishing in the top eight heading into last week’s game, Auckland entered the contest as 7.5-point favourites and would have been confident about their chances of a win, but they instead crumbled in the second half to let the visitors run away with a hugely important win. Nathaniel Pole scored the first two tries of the game, both coming via lineout mauls, which put the hosts up 12-0 and with a one-man advantage for 10 minutes. They couldn’t capitalise though, as the Turbos hit the front just before halftime, and although there was some tit-for-tat scoring early in the second half, the Aucklanders couldn’t keep Manawat\u016b away from their 22 and they were made to pay the price, with a season-ending defeat. Auckland simply weren’t dangerous enough with ball in-hand, despite getting their fair share of chances, and their defence left a lot to be desired, especially on the edges. Che Clark was a machine again, with 16 tackles and two ruck turnovers, while Caleb Woodley had a team-high 22 tackles to lead the defensive charge. Payton Spencer and Xavi Taele ran well and were often dangerous, but an early knee injury to Harlyn Saunoa really seemed to harm Auckland’s attack.<\/p>\n

With first place essentially out of the equation for Otago, they’re resting their starting front row and Lucas Casey, as well Kieran McClea, Josh Timu and Riley Lucas in the backs. Auckland have brought Stephen Perofeta back into the team as part of a new 9-10 combo with James Arscott, which is promising news for the visitors given Perofeta’s impact this season. He’s going to be steering the Auckland attack and is going to help the game hit a high total, especially because we have seen a string of overs at Forsyth Barr. Otago’s last three games there have seen an average of 84.7 total points and six of their last seven games there have hit the over.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nOver 65.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nPower Plays \u2014 Otago to Score Between 31 – 40 Points & Auckland to Score Between 21 – 30 Points ($6.00)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nSam Nemec-Vial ($13 First, $1.87 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nSam Nemec-Vial Try \/ Payton Spencer Try \/ Joseva Tamani Try ($18.93)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Southland<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Northland<\/div>\n
Friday, 7:10pm | Rugby Park, Invercargill<\/div>\n
Northland -14.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Southland gave Canterbury a real scare at One NZ Stadium last week but they weren’t able to get over the line, losing 21-34. Despite never leading in Christchurch, the Stags were competitive throughout the game, never trailing by more than two scores, and that kept them in the fight until the very end. Returning from All Blacks duties, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa collected a cross-kick and barged his way over the line to make it a 21-27 game with less than five minutes on the clock, but the hosts controlled the final moments of the game to score in the dying moments to shut off any chance of a Southland upset. Despite being eliminated for finals contention, it was another promising performance from the Southerners, taking their opportunities nicely and often defending well. Some usual issues crept in, such as their lineout struggles and their lack of penetration in the midfield, but Tupou Ta’eiloa was excellent in his comeback game. He led the team with 19 carries and showed off some good skills at the breakdown to win a couple of penalties, while Will Gaulter was rock-solid defensively in the midfield.<\/p>\n

Northland will be devastated after last week’s horror Ranfurly Shield loss against Counties Manukau. Having been so impressive this season, especially at home, the Taniwha fired a blank in their Shield defence on Saturday, losing the game 19-22 despite being 24.5-point favourites. It was a somewhat blustery day in Whanag\u0101rei but that should be no excuse for Northland’s sloppiness, scoring just three tries despite having 11 entries into the Steelers’ 22 and enjoying 58% possession and 61% territory. Their 17 turnovers, including a slew of handling errors, lost hurt a lot, and many came at costly occasions, with Lachie Hooper’s knock-on with the try line in front of him being one of the key examples. Despite that, Northland led 19-12 with 15 minutes to play but they were outworked by the visitors when it mattered most, again failing to take their chances before giving up a big penalty, which allowed Counties to take the lead and ultimately steal the Shield. Sam Nock was a livewire for Northland and Rivez Reihana was influential in the first half, while Simon Parker consistently broke the gain line and James Ramm had the occasional dangerous carry.<\/p>\n

There are a few big outs for Southland on Friday, with Sef Fa’agase, Mitch Dunshea, and Jimmy Taylor out of the squad. Northland have brought Reesjan Pasitoa and Nathan Salmon into the starting team and have plenty of firepower at their disposal, and with Northland needing a bonus-point win to be any chance of a first-place finish, they’re going to come out firing in Invercargill. That’s going to make this a very tough task for the Stags and even at home I don’t expect them to come particularly close.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nNorthland -14.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nNorthland 21-30 ($4.40)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nJames Ramm ($13 First, $1.96 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nJames Ramm Try \/ James Mullan Try \/ Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa Try ($11.41)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Manawat\u016b<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Canterbury<\/div>\n
Saturday, 2:05pm | Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North<\/div>\n
Canterbury -9.5 ($1.85)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Manawat\u016b kept their season alive with a thrilling 40-34 victory against Auckland last week. Again entering the game as underdogs, the Turbos were slow off the mark at Eden Park conceding a couple of early tries off lineout drives, but their forwards clicked into gear from there to respond with a try from Mosese Bason from a maul of their own. Raymond Tuputupu then repeated the dose for a 14-12 lead at halftime, but it wasn’t until the final 15 minutes where the Turbos ran away with the victory. Rory Woods powered his way over the line to put Manawat\u016b up 26-22 before Jai Tamati jetted away for another try just a couple of minutes later. Auckland fought back with a try of their own to make it a four-point game but Feleti Sae-Ta’ufo’ou sealed the deal with a late try. The Turbos’ work in the pack was impressive, as was their patience and ball retention, which heaped the pressure on the hosts. Manawat\u016b’s loosies were impressive once more, led by Brayden Iose, TK Howden, Bason and a very impactful stint off the bench from Woods, while Drew Wild was a real threat from fullback.<\/p>\n

Canterbury worked their way to another win last Saturday, improving to a competition-best 7-2 record, but their lack of bonus points has them one competition point behind the table-topping North Harbour on the standings as we head into the final round. The defending champions were made to work hard against Southland last week but they never looked under too much pressure in a 34-21 win. Canterbury never trailed but they failed to pull away from the visitors at any point in the game, until Oliver Burra’s 79th minute try made it a 13-point lead to ice the game. The red and blacks’ defence was airtight in this contest, conceding just three tries and three line breaks, and Corey Kellow was at the front of that effort. He finished with 22 tackles, to go with one try, while Dominic Gardener had 12 tackles and 11 carries. Ngane Punivai was the best of the backs, with a couple of line breaks and big carries.<\/p>\n

Manawat\u016b need a win and other results to fall their way if they are to make the top eight, while Canterbury are still well in the running for a #1 finish, meaning a lot is on the line for both teams here. Reece MacDonald is out of the Turbos squad, seeing Liam O’Connor start at #10 as George Worboys returns on the bench, while Canterbury are welcoming back Sam Darry, Jone Rova and Louie Chapman. That makes for a very good Canterbury squad, with Jamie Hannah being the only big loss from last week’s team, and that’s going to make it very tough for the Turbos to get close.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nCanterbury -9.5 ($1.85)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nCanterbury 11-20 ($4.00)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nChay Fihaki ($13 First, $1.82 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nChay Fihaki Try \/ Raymond Tuputupu Try \/ Andrew Knewstubb Try ($16.01)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Counties Manukau<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Hawke’s Bay<\/div>\n
Saturday, 5:05pm | Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe | Ranfurly Shield<\/div>\n
Counties Manukau +14.5 ($1.85)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Counties Manukau will be on cloud nine after winning the Ranfurly Shield for just the second time in the province’s history last week. It came on the back of a jaw-dropping 22-19 victory overy Northland in Whang\u0101rei, where Counties showed off incredible resilience, defence and kicking to win the Shield despite being massive 24.5-point underdogs at kick-off. It hasn’t been a great season for the Steelers, who had a 2-6 record going into Round 9, with their defence being amongst the worst in the competition, but they showed incredible resolve on Saturday. Having just 39% territory and 42% possession, the visitors were made to do plenty of defending, but they did so with vigour and accuracy, with an 89% tackle completion rate and conceded just nine penalties, while making the most of their chances on the other side of the ball. Sione Molia capitalised on a Northland error on a kick chase to score CM’s first try before Gibson Popoali’i showed off his strength off a tap-and-go to score in the second half. Adam Morrison was the other try-scorer, but the boot of AJ Alatimu was perhaps the most important factor, slotting a couple of difficult kicks late, including a 79th minute penalty goal from close to the sideline to win the game. Melani Matavao was excellent at halfback, with his kicking, sniping tuns and defensive turnovers all providing pivotal moments. Adam Brash was tireless on defence with 24 tackles, and Morrison had some incisive runs to help Counties on their way to a famous victory.<\/p>\n

Hawke’s Bay suffered their third consecutive loss last week, getting dismantled by Taranaki 14-50. Their unbeaten record through the opening six rounds now feels like a distant memory after their recent performances, with the Magpies never looking likely on Sunday. At home, they fell to a 0-21 deficit 25 minutes into the game and any chance of a second-half comeback was quickly erased, as the visitors scored three quick tries in the second half for a 0-40 lead. Hawke’s Bay gave away 18 turnovers and lost plenty of their own ball at lineout time, making for plenty of missed opportunities in Bulls territory. Darby Lancaster impressed when he got his chance to carry, Frank Lochore got involved a lot for 17 tackles and 11 carries and Lukas Ripley tried to get into the game, but Hawke’s Bay were never able to string together the phases to be any threat to the visitors.<\/p>\n

Counties will be desperate to defend the Shield and keep it locked away for the summer, but they have a big job in front of them. Hawke’s Bay have named a full-strength team, with Zarn Sullivan and Folau Fakatava coming in off the bench, while Lincoln McClutchie has been named in the starting team for his first game of the season. It’s hard to see the Steelers coming out on top in this clash but I also don’t see it being a blowout. We saw last week that Counties can slow things right down and win a rather ugly contest and Hawke’s Bay have not been a good team when favoured, failing to cover three of their last four games.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nCounties Manukau +14.5 ($1.85)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nHawke’s Bay 1-12 ($3.30)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nDarby Lancaster ($9.50 First, $1.53 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nDarby Lancaster Try \/ Adam Morrison Try \/ Bailyn Sullivan Try ($8.85)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Waikato<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Tasman<\/div>\n
Saturday, 7:10pm | FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton<\/div>\n
Under 64.5 ($1.87)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Waikato battled through some very testing conditions in the capital to beat Wellington 34-10 last Sunday. The win brought the Mooloos up to sixth place on the ladder and has kept the door open for a home semi-final, with a finish as high as third place still mathematically possible. It was in the first half where the visitors did much of their damage, with their forwards and the kicking games of Taha Kemara and Cortez Ratima helping control the game, and Sean Ralph, Jahrome Brown and Sefo Kautai being rewarded as try-scorers. Brown bagged his second try at the hour mark to make it 26-5 and it was game over from there, as Waikato calmly closed out the game. Brown was a key player for the visitors, often getting involved in tight on both attack and defence, while Senita Lauaki was a relaible lineout option and had some strong carries.<\/p>\n

Tasman flexed their muscles with their All Blacks back in the ranks, blitzing Bay of Plenty 26-45 last Thursday. Timoci Tavatavanawai and Noah Hotham were returning from All Blacks duty and Leicester Fainga’anuku as making his return from injury off the bench, making it a full-strength Mako side in Nelson, and the hosts did not disappoint. It was a tight battle for much of the first half, with the scores tied at 12-12 30 minutes into the contest, but Shannon Frizell broke the game open with a barn-storming run to send Maloni Kunawave in for an easy try, before Rory Scott broke free and found Cooper Roberts just before halftime to give Tasman a 26-12 lead. The onslaught continued early in the second half, with Kyren Taumoefolau and Hotham scoring to make it a blowout and keep Tasman’s very slim top four chances alive.<\/p>\n

This is a huge game in the context of the top eight. Waikato can secure their spot with a win, draw or two bonus points, while Tasman can book their playoff berth with a win. Crucially for the Mooloos, Oli Mathis is out for this game, with Mitch Jacobson coming into the starting team, while the Mako have brought both David Havili and Fainga’anuku into the starting side. That gives Tasman a helluva lot of firepower but Waikato will be eager to shut them down and they have been a solid defence this season. Six of their last seven games have hit the under and I don’t thing Tasman are going to have it all their way on the road.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nUnder 64.5 ($1.87)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nTasman 1-12 ($3.10)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nKyren Taumoefolau ($9.00 First, $1.48 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nUnder 64.5 \/ Kyren Taumoefolau Try \/ Taha Kemara Try ($17.08)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Taranaki<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Wellington<\/div>\n
Sunday, 2:05pm | Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth<\/div>\n
Over 68.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Taranaki will head into the final round with a real pep in their step after smoking Hawke’s Bay 50-14 last week. It was one-way traffic in Napier, with Taranaki dominating from start-to-finish after benefitting from a strong wind at their backs in the first half and using that to build a 21-0 lead inside 25 minutes, showcasing ascendency in both the forwards and backs. The scoreline stayed that way until halftime but the Bulls came out firing in the second, with Bradley Slater scoring his second try off the back of a maul, before Adam Lennox scored a nifty try and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins scored an excellent try immediately off the restart to make it 40-0 and put the result beyond doubt. There was a long list of standouts for the Naki, with Arese Poliko and Josh Lord being the pick of the bunch in the pack, while Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, Josh Jacomb, Lennox and Meihana Grindley all starred in the backs, but the latter went down with a late injury which slightly soured the result.<\/p>\n

Wellington’s disaster 2026 season got no better last week, suffering another big defeat against Waikato. You would have to think the 10-34 score line would have been much worse if it wasn’t for the gale-force winds and pouring rain that was taking place at Hnry Stadium. Stanley Solomon got the Lions off to a cracking start, scooping up a loose pass to break the Waikato defence and sprint away to score, but the good moments ended there. Wellington had just 35% territory and 38% possession, while conceding 17 entries to their 22 as they were made to make tackle after tackle. Du’Plessis Kirifi was happy to oblige, completing 20 tackles and three turnovers, but he did pick up a yellow card for making head-on-head contact in a tackle attempt. Penieli Poasa was a late addition to the starting team and he also defended well, alongside Matolu Petaia.<\/p>\n

Another Barrett brother joins the Bulls this weekend, with Beauden lining up at fullback. Josh Lord and Vereniki Tikoisolomone have departed the starting team for Barrett and Jesse Parete, while the Lions welcome back James O’Reilly at hooker. This has the makings of an absolute mismatch, considering that Taranaki will be wanting to record as big a win as possible to climb up the standings. It’s a dangerously good Bulls attack against an awful Wellington defence and I can’t see them being slowed down and with the over having hit in five of the Lions’ last six games, it’s again the bet here.<\/p>\n

Best<\/strong>
\nOver 68.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value<\/strong>
\nTaranaki 31-40 ($4.80)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer<\/strong>
\nJacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins ($9.00 First, $1.44 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi<\/strong>
\nOver 68.5 \/ Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins Try \/ Jesse Parete Try ($7.69)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bet Now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Bay of Plenty<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
North Harbour<\/div>\n
Sunday, 5:05pm | Tauranga Domain, Tauranga<\/div>\n
North Harbour +1.5 ($1.90)<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Bay of Plenty’s season is officially on the ropes after last week’s 26-45 defeat to Tasman. The Steamers can consider themselves somewhat unlucky to have gone up against the Mako the week that Timoci Tavatavanawai, Noah Hotham and Leicester Fainga’anuku all returned to the team, but even with the Steamers getting the services of Emoni Narawa, Fehi Fineanganofo and Pasilio Tosi, they had no answer for the hosts. That now leaves BOP in 10th place and four points out of the top eight, with a bonus point win and other results to go their way being required for them to sneak into the playoffs. Bay of Plenty had their chances in Nelson and often looked promising on attack, but time and time again they weren’t able to hold Tasman off at the breakdown. That contributed to 18 turnovers for the Steamers and just 2.3 points per entry into Tasman’s 22, and on the other end of the park, they simply couldn’t slow down the red-hot Mako attack. That saw them leak seven tries, with a dreadful 69% tackle completion, with their backs in particular producing some inexcusable defensive misses. Narawa looked like BOP’s best, being their main attacking force, with Aaron Gibbs also impressing off the bench in the second half.<\/p>\n

North Harbour catapulted themselves to the top of the ladder with 32-21 victory over Otago last week. Even with Jed Melvin, Kade Banks and Tristyn Cook out of the lineup, Harbour \u2014 as they have done all season long \u2014 put together a relentless attacking performance to beat one of the competition favourites and prove that they are a side to fear with the playoffs approaching. It was an ugly start for the hosts, conceding a couple of early tries to find themselves down 0-14, but they never looked rattled and they got back into the game to make it a 10-14 halftime scoreline. A hot start to the second half put NH up 22-14 and they never looked back, with Oscar Koller scoring again to make it a 15-point buffer and to ice the game. Harbour always looked like the most threatening team on attack, with their rapid play and their willingness to spread the ball setting up some very dangerous passages of play. Cam Howell was excellent again in pulling the strings, with a good kicking game and a pair of try assists, while George Reeves was the standout in the pack, carrying strongly all night long, alongside Motikai Murray.<\/p>\n

A top-of-the-table finish is on the line for Harbour, while Bay of Plenty need a bonus-point win here to even have a chance of making the eight. Tamiro Armstrong returns for the Steamers, as does Lucas Cashmore, while Jack Lee makes his return at lock for Harbour. There’s a good chance that BOP are mathematically out of the running come Sunday afternoon (a Tasman or Manawat\u016b win would see just that) and that could see a rather dejected performance from the Steamers. I am not going to bank on them being on fire in this game, which puts real value in what will be a determined North Harbour outfit.<\/p>\n

Best
\nNorth Harbour +1.5 ($1.90)<\/p>\n

Value
\nNorth Harbour 1-12 ($3.30)<\/p>\n

Try Scorer
\nTom Barnham ($13 First, $1.85 Anytime)<\/p>\n

Same Game Multi
\nTom Barnham Try \/ Fehi Fineanganofo Try \/ Tamiro Armstrong Try ($8.91)<\/p>\n

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

Otago were nowhere to be seen on the North Shore last week, losing to North Harbour 21-32. A win against Harbour would have put Otago in prime position for a first-place finish, but instead they can now finish as low as seventh thanks to last week’s result. It was their worst showing of the season, despite getting off to a ripper of a start with a 14-0 lead before the 15-minute mark. That advantage came somewhat against the run of play and Otago’s struggles became more obvious as the game went on as they failed to make dents in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":31128,"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-32785","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":"01\/10\/2026","event_country":"New Zealand"},"yoast_head":"\nNew Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 10 - 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\/10\/new-zealand-npc-tips-preview-round-10-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_NZ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Zealand NPC Tips & Preview | Round 10 - TAB NZ Punters Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Otago were nowhere to be seen on the North Shore last week, losing to North Harbour 21-32. A win against Harbour would have put Otago in prime position for a first-place finish, but instead they can now finish as low as seventh thanks to last week's result. It was their worst showing of the season, despite getting off to a ripper of a start with a 14-0 lead before the 15-minute mark. 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