26 Sep 2009

Northland giving Canterbury a fight for the Ranfurly Shield

3:25 pm on 26 September 2009

Northland are giving Canterbury a scare in their challenge for rugby's Ranfurly Shield, trailing the holders by one point, 16-15, at half-time.

Canterbury's Sam Whitelock scored the first try in the Air New Zealand Cup match in Christchurch, catching a pin-point kick from Stephen Brett on Northland's try-line.

But Joel McKenty has crossed twice for the challengers, and Northland would have gone into the half-time break had Lachie Munro not missed the second conversion.