KEY POINTS:
AIR NZ CUP
Auckland 13 Southland 9
Southland are going to spend an agonising few days puzzling exactly how it was they arrived in Invercargill minus the Ranfurly Shield.
This was a game they had in the bag. This was a game they threatened to win for
most of the second half, without, somehow, actually managing to get the job done.
Auckland did their bit on defence. They were passionate, committed and bulging with courage.
Their scrambling stuff was better than their set-phase work and they kept throwing bodies into places where they had to be.
That frustrated Southland, who dominated territory and possession for most of the final 40. There were two or three times where it looked as if a score was inevitable and then, whoosh, an Auckland player would arrive from nowhere and make the tackle of his life.
What will have hurt Southland more, however, was there were too many times when they were the architects of their own failure. Some of the passing was clumsy in the final third. Some of the finishing lacked conviction and they couldn't cross the line. Or rather - because they did once when Scott Cowan was held up - they couldn't score the points.
"We had our moments," said Southland co-coach David Henderson. "We dominated territory and possession in the second half but you have got to take your opportunities when you make them. That was our best chance ever and the dressing room is like a morgue."
That failure to be clinical and ruthless is what will hurt the Stags most. They were in control of the football, in control of the game, but they couldn't make it count.
After a dour first half where neither side could find any fluency or gain the upper hand, the game was broken after 55 minutes when Daniel Braid charged down a clearance kick.
The bounce of the ball was kind to Auckland, they attacked left and an inside pass by Lachie Munro gave David Smith just enough room to work himself over.
That was a score against the run of play but Southland didn't panic. They stayed strong at the contact, were tidy enough at the set-piece and more than useful out wide.
Where they were surprisingly better than Auckland was in their ability to generate width with precision in front of the gain line.
There was some clever use of dummy runners that kept the Auckland defenders in check and centre Kendrick Lynn caused a few flutters with his pace and desire to attack the outside shoulder.
When 18-year-old Robbie Robinson came off the bench in the final quarter, he looked a player with real potential. There was zip and energy to his running and he was stunningly elusive.
It was that ability to attack the wide spaces that helped Southland mount one of the best last-minute attacks that is likely to be viewed all season. Having chosen to kick a penalty to make the score 13-9, Southland received a kickoff just in front of their own line with barely any time left.
Thanks to crisp handling, some great support work and real adventure, they made it to within five metres of Auckland's line 18 phases later.
Again, as was to be the story of the day, they couldn't finish what they started and Auckland managed to force a free kick and boot the ball out.
Those last five minutes will have served Auckland's young squad well. They were character-building. Southland threw everything at them and all they could do was tackle, tackle and tackle again.
Auckland coach Shane Howarth, in his first game in charge, said: "What they showed in the last 35 seconds was huge character. The boys just stuck in there. It was fantastic. When they got to 13-9, a bit of worry, a bit of panic set in but the character they showed was fantastic.
"It's frustrating because you can see the holes open up on attack and then the guys try to throw miracle balls. We have got to stop saying they are young because we are in round seven.
"We have got to keep working on it in training and get it more game realistic but they are going to learn. They grew up quickly in the last two minutes of this game."
How much they did in fact grow up will become clear in two weeks when they have to defend the Shield against a rampant Wellington side.
Auckland 13 (D. Smith try; L. Munro 3 pens, con) Southland 9 (B. Stewart 3 pens). Halftime: 6-3.
