Rugby: Auckland pipped at the post

By WYNNE GRAY

Canterbury 29 Auckland 26

Touchdowns from Justin Marshall at both ends of Eden Park saved Canterbury from defeat in a rousing battle with defending champions Auckland last night.

The combative All Black halfback scored twice in the last quarter as Canterbury rallied from a significant deficit and his cover defence in the last move of the match saved what would have been a winning Auckland try.

Auckland surprised with a bristling performance helped by an enormous supply of ball which tested the much-vaunted Canterbury defence.

But in the washup, the visitors' composure brought them a win which looked unlikely with 13 minutes left.

Marshall, who had a mixed day with his passing, scored his first when Scott Robertson got his hands on the ball and the passes stuck.

His second, seven minutes later, was a beauty.

The Auckland scrum had been under massive pressure all night and from a Canterbury put-in, No 8 Sam Broomhall feigned to go open and threw a pass to Marshall running back down the blind.

It was a clinical move, with Marshall powering past the untidy defence to the line and the lead, which they held with his final-minute heroics in defence.

Auckland had blasted into the lead for the first time early in the third quarter through the opportunism of Adrian Cashmore.

In a move reminiscent of Zinzan Brooke against the Springboks at Ellis Park in 1992, Cashmore feigned to take a shot at goal before he tapped and ran from the Canterbury 22. He beat the cover of Reuben Thorne, the only Cantabrian alert to the drama as Iliesa Tanivula and Marika Vunibaka impersonated some defence and decoy running nearby.

It was reward for a powerful third quarter from Auckland, who controlled much of the possession and then got some luck from a dubious decision.

As Leon MacDonald smashed into Robin Brooke in a tackle and knocked himself out, the ball went forward from Brooke but Keven Mealamu picked it up and was given a try as he clattered into the corner flag.

With one quarter of the game left, Auckland were out to a 26-15 lead and an upset was definitely on.

But with the resilience they are renowned for and courage which is expected of their modern dynasty, Canterbury answered with a gutsy comeback.

A number of their All Blacks such as MacDonald, Scott Robertson and Todd Blackadder, had mediocre matches, but they won.

Canterbury had made a spectacular start to this crunch game. They ran the ball in the opening minute and left wing Caleb Ralph easily beat Auckland captain Paul Thomson, who had been left out near the touchline.

As Ralph drew the defence, the ball spilled clear and the wing regathered to dive over in the corner. Mehrtens' conversion from the sideline suggested a deluge was possible, a thought which gathered weight when MacDonald scored after 10 minutes.

The visitors may have been fortunate as referee Paddy O'Brien and the other match officials appeared to miss the first of several forward passes.

Once Mehrtens and Marshall pushed Canterbury upfield, Blackadder cleared the quick ruck ball for Thorne and MacDonald to outflank the defence and put the fullback over.

Auckland had to reply. They were looking ragged and another Canterbury try at that stage could have signalled a rout. They got some possession from a poor Mehrtens' chip and were patient enough through a number of phases for Mealamu to break close to the ruck with halfback Steve Devine in support for the try.

Japan-bound Cashmore goaled and then kicked a further two penalties as Auckland got back into the match to be only two points adrift at 13-15 at halftime.

Somehow they managed it even with a dodgy scrum, which came under increased pressure because there were only four lineouts in the half.

Canterbury 29 (J. Marshall 2, C. Ralph, L. MacDonald, tries; Mehrtens 2 con, pen, B. Blair con

Auckland 26 (S. Devine, A. Cashmore, K. Mealamu, tries; Cashmore 3 pen, con) Halftime: 15-13. More rugby - C2 and C3.