A contentious penalty try helped Auckland retain the Ranfurly Shield when they beat Manawatu 25-3 in an Air NZ Cup rugby match today.
Manawatu were still in the contest at 3-13 behind in the 48th minute at Eden Park in Auckland when referee Keith Brown consulted his televisionofficial before awarding the hosts a gift seven-pointer.
Brown ruled that Manawatu wing Lote Raikabula had denied Auckland centre Ben Atiga the chance to retrieve a bouncing kick in the in-goal area when he purposefully swatted the ball dead.
Fullback Lachie Munro's conversion from in front of the goalposts saw an indifferent Auckland take a commanding 20-3 lead, which the challengers were never going to overcome.
Brown was a busy man during a muddling sort of match, sinbinning two players - Munro and Manawatu prop Grant Polson for what he considered to be cynical fouls.
Manawatu were more than willing in the early exchanges and an Aaron Cruden penalty gave them a 3-0 lead in just the second minute but that was to be their lot for the .... entire match/... first half.
Auckland benefited in the last 10 minutes of the first spell when Manawatu were reduced to 14 men following the sinbinning of Polson after his side had been warned for repeated infringing.
The hosts made their numerical advantage pay, too, extending a 6-3 lead to a 13-3 halftime advantage when halfback Taniela Moa scored a try.
Moa used his solid frame to good effect after finding the Manawatu defence wanting around the fringes of a ruck near the tryline, with Munro's conversion giving Auckland a solid base to build on after the interval.
The penalty try was an unexpected bonus and even when Munro took his seat on the sideline Auckland kicked on, with captain Atiga scoring a fine team try in the 66th minute after winger Watisoni Lotawa made ground down the right before the ball was shifted left where Manawatu simply ran out of numbers.
