Katsu Taguchi leads after the first day of Rally New Caledonia, 43sec in front of his MRF Mitsubishi team mate, Scott Pedder.

Behind, there’s a battle for third with only 16 seconds between the Subaru’s of Dean Herridge, Hiroshi Yanagisawa, and New Caledonian Jean-Louis Leyraud.

Tomorrow is a big day with the 35km Katrakoin Stage, and in that part of the country it has been pouring with rain making it treacherously slippery under the trees and things could change radically.