Two old heavyweights slug it out

Tasesa Lavea (right) sprints past the out-cold Casey Laulala in Christchurch. Simon Fergusson / Getty Images

Canterbury 27 Auckland 22

Depending on where you live, this was either an epic defensive operation by Canterbury or a dramatic if ultimately unsuccessful rising from a first-half grave by Auckland.

What is not in dispute, however, is that it was a step up on most of what has gone on in the past two months, rousing, willing and just what you'd expect from a couple of old provincial heavyweights.

Few teams concede a 24-6 halftime lead to the hosts in Christchurch and come away with winning grins. But Auckland almost did it, and probably should have, after launching wave upon wave of attacks throughout a remarkable second half.

Canterbury had been hurt by consecutive defeats in the past two weeks. They grew an extra leg in protecting their line in a manner we've come to expect but not seen in recent games.

Having whittled the lead down, Auckland could have won it in a lung-busting final three minutes.

In that period, a Herculean Canterbury defence stopped Ali Williams at the right corner; Scott Hamilton's tackle cut down Isaia Toeava; Daniel Braid would have scored on an overlap but for having to prop to catch the final pass; and referee Steve Walsh ruled Doug Howlett's pass to Tasesa Lavea was forward as he crashed over the line in the match's last movement.

Auckland were left to rue a poor first half in which Canterbury - needing a bonus-point win to nudge Wellington out of the fourth home quarter-final spot - scored three tries as Auckland missed too many tackles.

Add in Auckland's erratic lineout work and they had a pile of work in the second spell.

Daniel Carter's return didn't exactly hurt the hosts either. Armed with his trusty kicking radar, he reminded everyone how players with real class always seem to have more time to do their thing and nailed five from six shots at goal.

If you want to be picky, all three first-half tries were partly attributable to Auckland mistakes, taking nothing from skilled Canterbury running.

Casey Laulala sliced between Sam Tuitupou and Ben Atiga in the lead-up to Hamilton's excellent opening try; a minute later Brent Ward's ineffective clearing kick allowed Leon MacDonald to run back 30m, chip ahead and lock Craig Clarke got the try, before a lost lineout and strong running from Mose Tuiali'i, Corey Flynn and Kieran Read set up prop Wyatt Crockett's try.

It seemed a monty that Canterbury would get their fourth try in the second 40 but Auckland, needing a win to be certain of finishing top in the group, were revitalised by the halftime break.

"It was quite a simple message: go out and play our game, start running hard with the ball, let's make them tackle us," Auckland coach Pat Lam said yesterday. "I was really proud of that second-half effort. We took it to them."

Tuitupou cut huge chunks of ground with his barnstorming running; Toeava and replacement hooker Keven Mealamu weren't far behind; Braid was excellent as the link man; Brad Mika and Jerome Kaino provided the muscular charges.

Mealamu set up Tuitupou for Auckland's only try and Atiga, another impressive performer, kicked four from four after Ward departed with a head knock.

It was stirring stuff. Just as Auckland had twice stopped seemingly certain first-half tries to Aaron Mauger with total defensive commitment from firstly Mika and Tuitupou on the line, then Howlett, sprinting 25m along the tryline to get his man at the left corner, so Canterbury stood strong through a gruelling second-half examination.

They could have even pinched the fourth try during the hectic finale when Caleb Ralph toed ahead to halfway. Open ground lay before him but Mealamu's marvellous sprint and regather saved the situation.

"There were lots of opportunities we didn't take," said Lam. "But Canterbury's regrouping on defence was outstanding. For a team with their backs to the wall, they really stood up."

As an appetiser for what lies ahead, that will do nicely.