NPC wrap: Taranaki star Josh Jacomb sends reminder of his class in record-breaking display

Monday, 18 August 2025

Move over Beauden Barrett. Well, in the Taranaki record books, at least.

The prince of Pungarehu might have a hold on the All Blacks No 10 jersey, but he no longer can lay claim to the most points in a first-division NPC game for his province.

That was after Josh Jacomb popped his head up and proved his potential once more in a stunning 30-point display in the amber and blacks’ history-making 50-8 dismantling of Auckland at Eden Park on Saturday evening.

Since guiding the Naki to the title in 2023, Jacomb, who made his provincial debut as a 20-year-old with one game in 2021, has been touted as an exciting first-five of the future for New Zealand.

All Blacks XV representation last year confirmed that, after four appearances with the Chiefs as an injury replacement.

But, after a 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season where he played all 17 games for the runners-up, and got seven starts, it was still chiefly second-fiddle stuff to key man Damian McKenzie.

Josh Jacomb was in sensational touch as he, and Taranaki, broke records against Auckland.

That will be part of Jacomb’s patience game in the second year of his contract with the Hamilton-based franchise in 2026, and beyond, unless he considers a move elsewhere. But for now, it’s the NPC where he needs to remind of his class.

And didn’t he do just that, in a running-riot-in-the-rain display against an Auckland side who were hit by late injury dramas but who still should have been much, much more competitive.

Belying the torrid conditions, and making a mockery of their 33% territory and 41% possession, the 66 more tackles than Auckland they were forced to make, and the 12-6 penalty count against them, Taranaki, with a whopping 13 linebreaks to one, put on seven sizzling tries, with Jacomb to the fore with a hat-trick.

Bursting through AJ Lam early on, then running a great support line to finish a try he had sparked with a break, before banking his third five-pointer on a 40-metre burst where he showcased his silky step and super speed, Jacomb finished the game with an equal-team-high 10 carries, and game-high numbers for metres (104), defenders beaten (9) and line breaks (3).

Josh Jacomb eclipsed Beauden Barrett’s record of most points in a first-division game for Taranaki.

Knocking over a penalty and six conversions for good measure, his 78th minute extras then saw him go one better in the books than Barrett, who had twice achieved 29-point individual hauls, in 2011 and 2012.

Jacomb’s haul came near 30 years to the day that Jamie Cameron registered the overall Taranaki record of 34 points (11 conversions, four penalties), in the 104-12 win over Nelson Bays in a 1995 second-division clash in New Plymouth.

Meanwhile, the 42-point winning margin was Taranaki’s largest-ever over Auckland (beating the 28 from 2011) and eclipsed their previous highest score of 49 (2014 and 2017) against them.

It was in fact just the second time in 111 years of playing at Eden Park that the Aucks had conceded 50 points there, the only other occasion being in a 50-17 loss to Canterbury in 1998.

That game from 27 years ago was their previous biggest home defeat, with this latest one now taking that honour, and standing as their third-heaviest overall.

Xavier Tito-Harris feels the pain of another Auckland loss.

It also now ensures Auckland, coming off one of their worst-ever seasons in history, have now equalled their longest-ever losing run of six matches, a streak which was last set way back in 1922.

After a stunning capitulation to lose the unlosable against Waikato, then also coming unstuck in a close one against Canterbury, this result is sure to have had new coach Steven Bates hit the roof. A big response will be needed against Northland at Eden Park this Saturday night, before an ultra-tough fortnight away to Wellington and Tasman.

For Neil Barnes’ Taranaki, on the other hand, the bonus-point victory has propelled them to the top of the table and will have the confidence soaring ahead of their second Ranfurly Shield defence of the season, against Waikato on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulls are one of three sides unbeaten through three rounds, along with Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury.

The Magpies produced a final-quarter surge to beat North Harbour 36-22 in Napier on Saturday night after visiting first-five Oscar Koller endured a shocking second stanza, shanking two easy shots at goal, missing touch with a penalty and having a kick charged-down that led to a home-team try.

That was after Canterbury had muscled their way to a 21-7 victory over Bay of Plenty in Tauranga on Saturday afternoon, with All Blacks lock Sam Darry’s recovery from shoulder surgery gathering plenty of pace in a powerful two-try effort.

And, in one of the more remarkable comebacks ever seen in the NPC, Southland scored their first win of the season in Invercargill on Friday night by coming from 22-0 down at halftime against Manawatū and scoring four tries (and a penalty) between the 53rd and 72nd minutes to secure a stunning 29-22 result.

In Sunday’s games, Otago snuck past Wellington 46-41 in a 87-point, 12-try spectacle. All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua got through 31 minutes off the bench for Wellington in his return from a hamstring injury, suffered in the Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final.

Replacement Tepaea Cook-Savage kicked a fulltime penalty in front of the posts as Waikato kept Counties Manukau winless, prevailing 27-26 in Hamilton.

NPC Rd 3

At Rugby Park, Invercargill: Southland 29 (Faletoi Peni, Michael Manson, Alex Yallop, Fletcher Morgan tries; Dan Hollinshead 3 con, pen) Manawatū 22 (Ngani Laumape, Vernon Bason, Drew Wild tries; Brett Cameron 2 con, pen). HT: 0-22.

At Tauranga Domain: Canterbury 21 (Sam Darry 2, Corey Kellow tries; James White 3 con) Bay of Plenty 7 (Kurt Eklund try; Kaleb Trask con). HT: 7-14.

At Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei: Tasman 28 (Eli Oudenryn, Levi Aumua, Macca Springer, Sione Havili Talitui tries; William Havili 4 con) Northland 14 (Jordan Hutchings, Jordan Trainor tries; Rivez Reihana 2 con). HT: 21-0.

At Eden Park, Auckland: Taranaki 50 (Josh Jacomb 3, Adam Lennox 2, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Sage Walters-Hansen tries; Jacomb 6 con, pen) Auckland 8 (Xavier Tito-Harris try; Alex Harford pen). HT: 22-3.

At McLean Park, Napier: Hawke’s Bay 36 (Nick Grigg 2, Folau Fakatava, Tom Parsons, Harry Godfrey Lukas Ripley tries; Godfrey 3 con) North Harbour 22 (Jed Melvin 2, Sofai Notoa-Tipo tries; Oscar Koller con, pen, Cam Howell con). HT: 19-10.

At Porirua Park, Wellington: Otago 46 (Lucas Casey 2, Dylan Pledger, Will Tucker Jona Nareki, Thomas Umaga-Jensen tries; Cameron Millar 5 con, 2 pen) Wellington 41 (Matt Proctor 2, Hugo Plummer, Esi Komaisavai, Tom Maiava, Akira Ieremia tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 4 con, pen). HT: 24-19.

At FMG Stadium, Waikato: Waikato 27 (Rui Farrant, Mitch Jacobson, Bailyn Sullivan tries; Aaron Cruden 2 con, pen, Tepaea Cook-Savage con, pen) Counties Manukau 26 (Etene Nanai-Seturo, Peniasi Malimali, Hoskins Sotutu, Jackson Rainsford tries; Riley Hohepa 3 con) HT: 17-14.

Points: Taranaki 14, Hawke’s Bay 14, Canterbury 13, Bay of Plenty 10, Tasman 10, Otago 10, Waikato 10, Wellington 7, Southland 6, Manawatū 6, Northland 4, Auckland 3, Counties Manukau 3 North Harbour 1.