Taranaki he seems to be coming back faster at the 2026 NPC than the Kiwi did in the 1983 Melbourne Cup.
And as a racehorse from Waverley, a small town in the South Taranaki district, Bulls wild in their fragrance of glory as the finish line approaches.
Facing a record of 3 wins and 4 losses before the round eight match against Southland, Taranaki needed to win and did so with a 55-19 demolition of Southland in New Plymouth on 20 September.
Since the Stags stampede, Taranaki have outplayed Hawke’s Bay (50-14), Wellington (68-26) and North Harbor (50-31). Electric fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens scored a try in each win, leaving some fans hoarse.
That’s an unprecedented point. No team has ever scored 50 points in four straight NPC games. In 2012 Canterbury won the championship and scored 50 points five times in six games. 1984 with only four point attempts, Auckland scored four half-centuries, though not consecutively.
“It’s quite surprising. We beat some good teams,” enthused Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens with RugbyPass.
“We’ve really focused on performing at the right time of year, understanding what has put us in successful positions before. Taranaki’s DNA is about accurate set pieces and taking calculated risks attacking from anywhere.”
“Was I worried that we left the series too late? Sure, but we were fortunate enough to get some key players back at the right time. In our first game, Michael Loft and Fiti Sa were injured, and then it became a domino effect. Kaylum Boshier, Daniel Rona and Adam Lennox were all injured, and then Bradley Slater and Josh Jacom were injured. All black peopleso we really had to dig deep. Some limited NPC experience showed with the young guys, but we built depth for that as well.”
Taranaki will need to empty both barrels to clinch top round qualification and defend Canterbury’s One One title New Zealand Christchurch Stadium in the semi-final on Saturday.
Since a 40-26 loss to Taranaki on August 28, Canterbury have won six straight matches. Their best performance in that streak was a 62-26 demolition Waikato in their quarter-final on Sunday. Canterbury hooker Brodie McAlister emulated Taranaki’s whore Bradley Slater (against North Harbour) by scoring three tries from the lines. Will the defenders see the ball?
“When that maul goes forward, don’t bother me,” laughed Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.
“We have no illusions about what Canterbury will bring and how they will play. They are a proud province with a big crowd cheering them on under the roof. We have to prepare well and challenge them to our strengths and not focus on them.”
Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens has good results against Canterbury. The second of his 67 games for Taranaki was a successful 23-22 Ranfurly Shield challenge at the now-disused Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, where he scored two tries. 2023 Taranaki beat Canterbury 23-15 in the semi-final in New Plymouth en route to their second title since 2014.
“That Shield match was pretty much All Blacks against All Blacks,” Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens recalled.
“We had Beauden and Joride Barrett, Josh Lord, Bradley Slater and Tupou Vaa’i. They had George Bridge, Richie Mo’unga, Mitchell Drummond, Cullen Grace, Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody, Fletcher Newell and Brett Cameron. It was a pretty special experience.
“After winning the semi-final at 23, it felt like we had unstoppable momentum going into the final, which we got against Hawke’s Bay. It was for the semi-final. It was a perfect day in the final.”
The confident Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens has played plenty of big rugby. His 34 games for those who often struggle Highlanders they are usually of high quality. He was chosen for All Blacks XV 2025 and played their 33-19 victory against Barbarians in London and a 45-21 success Uruguay in France, scored a try.
How does Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, however, reconcile the relatively free state of NPC rugby with the more restrictive international environment?
“As a fan, I hope our rugby is exciting to watch. People invest heavily in the NPC. Many players value the opportunity to play for their home province, so we want to reflect that passion and fun with exciting rugby,” explained Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.
“I feel that NPC is even more expansive than Super. There are so many chances to move the ball, whether from a set piece, a broken play, or a quick ball in the second or third phase. Defense is important, but so are calculated attacks.”
Born in Christchurch and raised in New Plymouth, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens attended the same alma mater as the Barrett family, Francis Douglas Memorial College. He was in the First XV from 2017 to 2019 and rated wins against Wesley College and Palmerston North Boys’ High School as highlights.
He was selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools in 2019 and then headed to Tauranga to begin a two-year deal with the All Blacks Sevens. He was struggling with a finger injury. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens made his debut for Taranaki in the 2020 NPC and helped the Bulls to a perfect 10-0 season in 2021.
His hyphenated name honors his Fijian and hospital worker mother, Patty.
