Rugby: Tasman hold off Waikato - just

Waikato fullback Zac Guildford tries to avoid the Tasman defence. Photo / Photosport

Tasman have scraped past Waikato by the skin of their teeth, earning a 31-29 win in Sunday's National Provincial Championship clash after the Mooloos missed a last-second conversion.

Coasting with a 31-12 lead, the Makos almost threw it all away when star man James Lowe was sin-binned in the 66th minute for a deliberate knock down.

A man down, his side struggled to keep out Waikato on their home patch, and eventually conceded an 84th-minute Tawera Kerr-Barlow try to put the Mooloos within two.

But kicker Matthew Lansdown hooked his conversion wide.

The win is Tasman's first of the campaign and saves the Ireland-bound Lowe's blushes, but leaves them moored to the bottom of the Premiership division.

Waikato remain in second, depending on results elsewhere.

An energetic but sloppy start was broken by Waikato, who scored after successive breaks from ex-All Black Zac Guildford and Iliesa Ratuva put "The Tongan Bear" Loni Uhila over on the right.

Yet their ascendancy didn't last, with two Makos tries and the injury-enforced departure of skipper Dwayne Sweeney putting a spanner in the Waikato works.

For Tasman's first try, halfback Billy Guyton burrowed over in the 15th minute, before openside flanker Vernon Fredericks crossed on the left seven minutes later.

A breakaway try to Fijian-born Waikato young gun Sevu Reece, following solid work from released All Blacks halfback Kerr-Barlow, sent the sides into the break just two points apart - but couldn't halt Tasman's dominance across the park.

Fullback Will Jordan split the Mooloos defence to score in the 44th minute, before flanker Jordan Taufua put daylight between the sides with his 49th-minute effort.

Lowe's sin-binning then handed Waikato a lifeline - which Lansdown ultimately couldn't take.