Auckland continued their mid-season revival by snatching a dramatic 23-20 Air NZ Cup rugby win over Manawatu at Eden Park in Auckland today.
A last minute try from promising wing Atieli Pakalani denied Manawatu what would have been their first championship success over Auckland since 1981.
He scored in thecorner after a game-breaking bust from replacement halfback Auvasa Faleali'i cracked open Manawatu's defence almost immediately after the visitors had taken the lead for the first time themselves.
The result lifted Auckland to fifth place after seven rounds when only a few short weeks ago they were struggling to stay off the bottom of the table.
Their third successive victory had little to recommend it for the purist but those favouring pragmatism could rightly argue the result was all that mattered.
For 60 minutes the match was little more than a boring kick-fest as neither team showed a liking for keeping the ball in hand. Both chose instead to kick for territory at every opportunity but handling errors and constant injury breaks led to a stop-start affair.
The latter stages were an altogether different matter, though, after the 67th-minute sinbinning of Auckland flanker Hamish Paterson for repeat infringing suddenly saw the match burst into life.
Down 3-16, Manawatu knew their only hope was to attack and their late resurgence began when second five-eighth Johnny Leota scored an opportunistic try after charging down an attempted clearance by Ash Moeke.
First five-eighth Isaac Thompson was left with a simple conversion but shortly afterwards he was astray with a penalty attempt from a handy position.
Manawatu hit the front for the first time in the 73rd minute when a well executed play from a lineout near the line created space on the short side for halfback Aaron Smith. Thompson calmly nailed the wide-angled conversion then struck his second penalty from 46m for Manawatu to lead 20-16.
Desperation took hold for Auckland at that stage, and a midfield turnover followed by Faleali'i decisive break proved the difference.
Manawatu had to do without regular No 10 Aaron Cruden, who was scratched from the starting 15 after suffering a suspected groin strain during the pre-match warmups.
