All Black four too much for Taniwha

The return of four All Blacks  to the fold for Auckland on Saturday proved  too much for the Taniwha  at the Kerikeri Domain,  the visitors dominating to win 32-13.
John Afoa, Isaia Toeava, Joe Rokocoko and Jerome Kaino tipped the balance toward the visitors, leaving Northland, who were once again beaten at the breakdown, battered and bruised.
Northland captain Jared Payne, while  disappointed in his team's performance,  said the return of the All Blacks  players was a factor in the game.
"It had to have helped, but the whole team fronted.
"They were desperate and they out-passioned us, especially at the breakdown, and we couldn't get our game going.
"So well done to Auckland," he said after the game.
Northland never gave up, however, and were in the match until the final quarter with a good 60th-minute converted try to the captain closing the gap to just 13-18.
But the overall effort failed to impress the skipper, who said the team still needed to improve if they wanted to feature at the business end of the Air New Zealand Cup. "We were really only in that game for a few minutes. They dominated us throughout the 80 and they deserved that win fully.
"We've got to go back and take a look at what went wrong and get ready for a big physical battle against Harbour next week," he said.
While Jerome Kaino and Joe Rokocoko starred for the visitors, it was relative newcomers like first five-eighth Ash Moeke - who was David Howell's understudy for the Taniwha last season - number-eight Peter Saili and openside flanker Onosa'i Auva'a, who backed up their efforts and got winless Auckland off the bottom of the table.
Auckland applied all the early pressure with Rokocoko scoring the opening try in the 16th minute, before standing up to the Taniwha defence to set up Dave Thomas for the second 10 minutes before the break.
The defensive effort cost Northland dearly in energy but they hung in, trailing 6-15 at the break, thanks to two Lachie Munro penalties.
A light rain shower checked Auckland's brand of running rugby and they began to falter - giving Northland a brief chance to get back into the game.
But that ended shortly after Payne's try when replacement halfback Auvasa Faleali'i finished off another  multiphased Auckland attack with a try under the posts.
 It was left to Rokocoko to complete the victory with a try from a half chance after the hooter had sounded.
Northland coach Bryce Woodward agreed with his captain's sentiments that the breakdown area was the biggest problem facing the Taniwha.
"We'll have to improve in the breakdown area if we want to beat teams from here on in. Auckland certainly contested at the breakdown better than us and at the end of the day if you're not winning that battle you don't get quick ball and you're always on the back foot. That's where we lost today," he said.
He was pleased with his team for taking advantage of the only opportunity handed them in the game to launch a comeback.
"I thought the boys showed a lot of character to come back as they did. They didn't stop trying even though they were pretty knackered. But then Auckland came back and controlled the final 15 minutes and didn't give us another chance."
Woodward's predecessor as Northland coach, Mark Anscombe - now coaching Auckland - said he knew it was going to be a close battle.
"I knew it was going to be tough today, because I know how much it means to the Northland people to take on Auckland and we knew it was going to be a hell of a battle and at 18-13 I was a bit worried because we weren' t looking after the ball enough and Northland were starting to get their confidence up and were playing some rugby," he said.
Fortunately for the coach, his team responded to the threat by reverting to the game plan.
"We started playing how we intended and in the end that made the game comfortable for us," he said.
Northland 13 (J Payne try; L Munro 2 pen, con) Auckland 32 (J Rokocoko (2), Dave Thomas, A Faleali'i tries; A Moeke 2 pen 3 con). H/T 6-15. Crowd: 7000.