Gareth Anscombe of Auckland in action against Southland. Photo / Getty Images
Auckland 39 Southland 26
Otago yes, Southland no; Otago overturned a 35-year Eden Park hoodoo on July 20, but Southland's bid to end a 72-year drought in Auckland came up short last night.
Auckland showed piles of grit in a game of nine tries, ensuring the win only with replacement Pauliasi Manu's shove and stretch to the line in the last minute for the hosts' fifth try.
They finished with a hefty casualty ward populated by forwards. They lost three locks - Josh Townsend and his replacement Richard Haddon, both left looking groggy, and the impressive Steven Luatua limped off nine minutes from the end - which left them a lopsided heavyweight pack for the denouement, in which Southland scored two tries to give themselves a sniff of a win.
Auckland pushed Southland to the bottom of the ITM Cup's premiership ladder and now sit fourth, but finished knackered after a game which often lacked accuracy but certainly wasn't short on commitment.
"They were throwing everything at us at the end but we managed to hang on," stand-in captain Tom McCartney said afterwards.
For a time in the first half it was as if both teams had entered a pact to give each other a decent crack, so often was possession turned over. Southland had the better numbers, but both teams had frittered scoring opportunities away at the last.
Even so, Auckland turned with a three-point advantage, 15-12.
Their impressive centre Hadleigh Parkes got the first try after strong leadup work from McCartney. Southland fullback Glen Horton got the visitors moving with a slickly-worked move, slicing through wide on the right and when first five-eighths Scott Eade scored a clever solo try, running diagonally to the right corner, Southland were looking good.
No 8 Chris Lowrey plunged across, after sharp running by Parkes and a helping hand from Teddy Stanaway, to even things up. The key period for Auckland came in the third quarter when they scored two converted tries to break 20 points clear.
Southland's organisation at a ruck in a promising situation was sloppy and Joe Rokocoko simply stepped in, picked up the ball and ran 60m.
When Gareth Anscombe, who also kicked six from seven attempts at goal, sliced through a gap in Southland's defensive line and found no one covering, he sped 50m for the bonus point try.
Southland, having run a pile of substitutions, kept battling, and James Wilson's slick try 10 minutes from the end offered the prospect of a four-try bonus, which was confirmed when flanker Tim Boys crossed shortly after.
But the plucky Auckland forwards, especially Manu, had the final say.
Combined with a glut of loose forward injury worries Auckland have a difficult few days to prepare for North Harbour on Sunday.
Auckland got top value out of the inspirational McCartney and prop Charlie Faumuina, while blindside flanker Nathan Hughes put himself about energetically.
Halfback Alby Mathewson bustled about while Anscombe and Parkes also stood out among the players wearing higher numbers.
Otago 30 Counties Manukau 14
Counties Manukau dominated all the statistics bar the most important in the early game last night, losing to Otago at Carisbrook.
They scored first through flanker Adam Cathcart, but were undone by their failure to take advantage of considerable territory and possession counts.
Otago scored two tries, the key one being Ben Smith's 70m runaway down the left wing after the ball went loose.
Glenn Dickson kicked six penalties and a conversion and the win moved them to second equal in the championship on 14 points with Hawkes Bay, two behind Manawatu. Counties are still handy in fourth on 10 points.