Late Jordie Barrett penalty seals Taranaki Ranfurly Shield victory over Canterbury

The Ranfurly Shield is returning to Taranaki for the first time in two years.

In a result that replicates the 55-43 Shield victory over Canterbury in 2017, the men in amber and black returned to Christchurch to snatch the Log O' Wood back off the provincial juggernauts in exhilarating fashion.

Both team's playmaker's, Richie Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett, stole the headlines leading into this clash, but it was the boot of Barrett's younger brother Jordie, playing against his former side, that won the match late on in the piece.

It was Jordie who opened the scoring inside the first few minutes, as he slotted a penalty that stemmed from an infringement by Josh McKay, who is still on the search for a Super Rugby contract after his three-year deal with the Highlanders recently expired.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to extend their lead, as in-form flanker Lachlan Boshier continued to put his hand up for a place in the All Blacks by slipping through a tackle to put Canterbury on the back foot.

His pass found the boot of young wing Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, and the All Blacks Sevens teenager had enough composure to toe the ball ahead and score his first try at Mitre 10 Cup level.

Things went from bad to worse for Canterbury, as Barrett scooped up a Richie Mo’unga knock on to canter into the opposition 22 before slinging away an offload to All Blacks newbie Tupou Vaa’i, who scored his third try in under a week.

Down 13-0 inside the opening 10 minutes, the hosts needed to be the next team to strike, and they did so through the boot of Mo’unga from right out in front of the posts.

That counted for little, though, as the ball-running brilliance of Beauden Barrett edged Taranaki further in front.

Slicing the Canterbury defence in broken play, the 83-test All Blacks playmaker gassed prop Oli Jager and lock Luke Romano to eat up about 30 metres before firing a pass away to Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, who had enough about him to round Mo’unga and run in under the bar for his second try.