Turbos get hiding in Shield challenge  Last updated 16:26
29/09/2012  Relevant offers  Three tries to Taranaki fullback
Kurt Baker ensured Manawatu's Ranfurly Shield challenge would
come to nothing at Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth.  It only rubbed
it in ever more for the outclassed challengers that Baker is a
former Manawatu player who led the charge to the 59-18 win in
bright sunshine yesterday.  It was an error-ridden Manawatu who
were beaten all around the park and an efficient Taranaki who
took extreme profit scoring eight tries to two.  This time they
didn't even come close, well beaten at the breakdowns.  Taranaki
enjoyed seeing so much good ball in their seventh Shield
defence, and Manawatu still haven't had the Ranfurly Shield
since 1978.  Baker scored two of his tries in the second spell
to take his team to 30-13 and while Manawatu made a riposte with
a try off a scrum to close it to 30-18 with 53 minutes gone,
there was only one team in it.  By the middle of the second half
Taranaki were scoring at w