Canterbury have suffered their first defeat to Hawke's Bay in 37 years, going down 20-19 after a stunning try after the hooter.
A week after losing the Ranfurly Shield to Taranaki, Canterbury had made 10 changes to their team after their All Blacks departed, and were sluggishly down 10-0 athalftime, but it looked as if they had righted the ship, with 19 points in 20 minutes putting them comfortably in front.
While Jonah Lowe crossed for Hawke's Bay to bring the score back to 19-15, Canterbury had a chance to seal the game with a scrum with time running out, but a mighty push from the hosts won a penalty to keep the game alive. Eventually, a kick to the corner led to a lineout, where Ash Dixon scored the Bay's customary driving maul try to seal a stunning victory in the 83rd minute.
Ash Dixon celebrates his try after the hooter. Photo / Photosport
Southland also claimed an upset victory after the hooter, tipping over North Harbour 11-10 thanks to a penalty from Greg Dyer in the 82nd minute, clinching back-to-back wins at home for the first time since 2016.
Premiership favourites Tasman had no need for late drama, with a David Havili hat-trick highlighting a 34-17 win over Waikato which leaves them as the only unbeaten team in the Premiership.
