Tasman 19
North Harbour 15
Southland 26
Otago 19
Tasman rolled over a lacklustre North Harbour to claim their first win of the fledgling national championship on the North Shore last night.
Harbour had been in cruise mode, leading 15-6 shortly into the second half, but they went to sleep and the Makos made them pay for their lack
of ambition.
It wasn't a match of any great quality but that will matter little to the Makos as they look to construct a campaign that will make it difficult to drop the axe on them when the competition is cut to 10 teams at the end of the season.
Harbour, on the other hand, turned in a performance that suggested last week's opening round victory against Canterbury was more of a mirage than the oasis of hope it had appeared.
The first half provided little to get excited about other than long-range penalty enthusiasts, with neither team managing a single worthwhile foray into the other's 22.
Tasman had the better of the early going, eking out a lead through the boot of Andrew Goodman before giving it away in daft fashion, conceding four kickable penalties in the space of five minutes. Harbour marksman Michael Harris might not be Morne Steyn but he had already shown how dangerous he could be with a well-struck ninth-minute effort.
Tasman didn't take the hint, though, Harris landing two 50m bombs and another from the sideline to push his side into a 12-6 lead at the break.
It took just 30 seconds of the second half for Tasman to offer Harris his seventh shot of the match, although that 51m effort dropped just under the bar. Tasman did the decent thing, however, giving him another go from a much handier position just four minutes later, which he converted.
Up 15-6 and with nothing much happening, Harbour would have been pondering a comfortable victory.
But that was blown out of the water when Tasman flanker Daniel Chrichton loped through the middle of a ruck and sent the ball left for fullback Robbie Malneek to score a try that certainly hadn't looked like coming.
The go-ahead score finally came after a 14-phase build-up, replacement Tristan Moran barging over in the left corner.
Tasman 19 (Robbie Malneek, Tristan Moran tries; Andrew Goodman pen, Matty James 2 pen)
North Harbour 15 (Michael Harris 5 pen). HT: 6-12.
* * *
Southland carried on where they left off against Waikato last week as they overran neighbours Otago at Carisbrook.
First five-eighths Robbie Robinson had another strong match, scoring 16 of Southland's points with four penalties and two conversions.
The teams traded penalty goals in the first spell with Southland leading 9-6 but the match opened up in the second 40.
Southland signalled their intentions with a well-worked try to Kendrick Lynn soon after the break.
A second try to lock Joshua Bekhuis seemed to close the game down for Southland but Otago's try to Ryan Shortland 10 minutes from time gave them a sniff.
But Southland held on to protect their unbeaten season with Robinson ending the scoring with a penalty eight minutes from time.
Southland 26 (Kendrick Lynn, Joshua Bekhuis tries, Robbie Robinson 4 pen, 2 con)
Otago 19 (Ryan Shortland try, Chris Noakes 4 pen, con). HT: 9-6
