Waikato 39
Counties Manukau 3
It's never a gentle process when an unexpected high-flyer is brought back to earth. Counties went splat rather than bump in Hamilton, badly losing their way in the final 15 minutes.
There will be some alarm at how badly the Steelers unravelled as for 50 minutes they did plenty to
suggest they were a possible winner.
They caused plenty of damage round the fringes, held the ball for long periods, moved it with awareness and direction. They played, mostly, at the right end of the field, yet they were just about sunk 10 minutes after the break.
All that hard work was undone by one coughed ball and one missed tackle and the game raced away from them.
It wasn't that Waikato weren't good. They took their chances and gave Counties' scrum a bit of a pounding. They were also committed to their game plan - even if that did mean kicking a little too much ball away - and held their defensive shape. With plenty of experience they didn't panic under pressure. They also had the immaculate goal-kicking of Trent Renata to turbo-charge the scoreboard and demoralise their visitors.
But Waikato were gifted 14 points that forced the Steelers to play for the impossible in the final half hour.
The first stroke of luck for Waikato was the decision by Sherwin Stowers to go for the ball after a wild pass sent Liam Messam scurrying back. Waikato had a huge overlap, were deep in Counties 22 and Stowers was the only Steeler in the picture. If he'd let Messam gather first then taken him, the chances were the Waikato flanker would either have been forced to hold on, or worst case for Counties, they would have had time to regroup.
But Stowers went for the ball, didn't get there then couldn't hold Messam. Tim Mikkelson had an easy ride to the line as a result. Minutes later, Sosene Anesi was racing 80 metres after a promising Counties attack ended with the ball spilling straight into the fullback's arms.
A few years ago Anesi would have put daylight between him and the chasers but time has robbed the former All Black of pace as Tim Nanai-Williams just about saved the day - making a tackle on the try-line.
That put Waikato 24-3 ahead and from there they could settle into a better rhythm. If they had run straighter and been prepared to play two passes wider, they would have scored more.
The final result will have done much to boost Waikato's confidence and convince them they are on the right track. They just need to find a clinical edge, be a little more careful with the final pass.
"We are pretty stoked with that," said Waikato coach Chris Gibbes. "That's a pretty good Counties team and we showed the right attitude."
For Counties, it was a harsh reminder of how much further they have to go if they are to achieve their goal of staying in the top seven. They were dead on their feet in those final 10 minutes and the only real plus was the performance of halfback August Pulu who could hardly have done more to stand out, short of wear a flashing light on his head.
Pulu raced back to nail an escaping Save Tokula, hitting him hard enough from behind to knock the Waikato centre's gum-shield out his mouth.
It was Pulu who latched on to Sherwin Stowers' neat kick ahead before half-time to go agonisingly close and it was Pulu who somehow managed to repel a charging Stephen Setephano when the Waikato No 8 seemed certain to score.
Big, quick, rugged, lively and accurate and sharp in his passing, Pulu is worth tracking over the next few weeks to see if he can maintain his form.
Waikato 39 (A. De Malmanche, S. Anesi, T. Mikkelson (2), S. Christie tries; T. Renata 3 cons, 2 pens; D. Sweeny con), Counties 3 (T. Nanai-Williams pen).
