Rugby: Comeback stuns Steamers

Auckland's Watisoni Lotawa fends off Zar Lawrence during last night's match against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua. Photo / Getty Images

Auckland 25
Bay of Plenty 20

An injury-ravaged Auckland side staged a staggering comeback to topple high flying Bay of Plenty in Rotorua last night.

Trailing by 10 points at halftime and having lost key flanker Daniel Braid, All Blacks wing Joe Rokocoko and first five-eighths Lachie Munro to injury, Auckland looked dead and buried.

But a rejigged line-up inspired by replacement flanker Onosa'i Auva'a ran in four second half tries to stun the Steamers and claim the side's first bonus point win of the season.

Auckland made a bright enough start but never seriously threatened the Bay line and they had nothing to show for five minutes of early pressure.

The Steamers, by contrast, breached the Auckland line on their first attack, with Nigel Hunt busting through on the 22 and slithering over between the posts only to be denied by a desperate tackle from Auckland fullback Jamie Helleur.

But the respite was short-lived for Auckland, with Bay No 8 Colin Bourke crossing from a five-metre scrum for a try on his 50th appearance for the province.

Bourke's storming run made Auckland's defence look second rate but the try was as much the product of a dominant Bay scrum as flimsy tackling attempts by Dean Budd and David Smith.

Munro got Auckland on the board with a 15th-minute penalty but the Steamers were firmly in the ascendancy and two Mike Delaney penalties stretched their lead to 13-3.

By then Auckland had already lost Braid to a knee injury and things quickly went from bad to worse.

Rokocoko had been little more than a disinterested spectator for 30 minutes until play finally went his way courtesy of an aimless Steamers kick. The All Blacks flier chipped the ball back but appeared to pull a muscle as he set off to chase and instead limped straight to the sideline.

Lock Stan Haukinima quickly followed the experienced duo off the field, although his departure was for a yellow card after referee Josh Noonan finally reacted to a rash of ruck infringements.

The departures didn't end there, however, with Munro stretchered off with what looked like a dislocated shoulder to round out a horrible 12-minute spell for Auckland.

Smashed in the scrums, whistled out of the breakdown, blighted by poor handling in the backs and with three key players sidelined, the defending champions could hardly have looked more down and out.

But a Smith try shortly after restart seemed to breathe new life into them. Prop Paea Fa'anunu rumbled over from close range to level the scores but the Steamers hit back with a long-range breakout that was finished in the corner by skipper Tanirau Latimer.

What had begun as drab affair opened up and Auckland were next to cross, with replacement flanker Auva'a collecting a Benson Stanley offload.

Skipper Ben Atiga had missed badly with his first two conversion attempts but he slotted his third to once again draw Auckland level.

With four minutes remaining Smith fly-hacked a Steamers kick from 10 metres inside his own half and Auva'a showed remarkable pace to win the race to the loose ball and slither over to claim the victory for Auckland.