Bay of Plenty's Luke Braid scores. Photo / Otago Daily Times
The Bays swapped positions, Otago jumped out of the series cellar and Canterbury suffered more than usual before they were able to repel Northland's lively Ranfurly Shield challenge.
As those with red-and-black blood fretted at their side's inability to finish off a determined Northland side their Otago neighbours dispatched Bay
of Plenty with ease.
Up north, new Crusaders' signing Zac Guildford slipped across the chalk three times with his final late touchdown delivering a Hawkes Bay victory and a valuable bonus point against the tenacious Turbos.
When all the action finished in round nine, Canterbury, Southland, Hawkes Bay and Bay of Plenty held the top four slots with Counties anchored at the foot of the competition after falling to a Harbour side who were a man down for much of the match when midfielder Andrew Meilei was sent off for a dangerous tackle.
Bay flanker Luke Braid escaped with a yellow card for a similar offence but his side was slapped by Otago who brought Charlie Hore off the farm and into the midfield. The move worked as Hore brought some stability and the forwards frustrated the Bay.
The Bay led 17-10 at the break but did not score another point as their hosts surged home 26 to 17. Whether it was an aberration will be tested this week by Taranaki in New Plymouth.
Canterbury, minus a swag of All Blacks, struggled to repel a Northland team which had opensider Joel McKenty in top gear, his mates not far behind and seasoned David Holwell showing no dramas after his late inclusion because of illness.
Northland had squared the game at 21-all but could not sustain that momentum as the Cantabs' resilience and teamwork got them home with a late Sean Maitland try.
Visiting coach Bryce Woodward praised his side's grit and the way they made the Ranfurly Shield holders fight to the finish.
"But one, maybe two, of their tries were soft and if that doesn't happen, who knows?" he lamented.
Hawkes Bay needed a similar try-sniffing recipe from Guildford as the union celebrated 125 years of history in a match where the lead changed numerous times before the hosts prevailed. The wing deflected praise for his work to the forwards but the Crusaders will have been nodding about their Super 14 acquisition for next season.
Manawatu looked as though their enterprise would go unrewarded until they claimed the bonus point they deserved with an Isaac Thompson penalty on fulltime.
