AJ Lam of Auckland celebrates his try with teammates. Photo / Photosport
AJ Lam of Auckland celebrates his try with teammates. Photo / Photosport
As referee Paul Williams blew his whistle for fulltime in their match against Tasman, Auckland might have collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
In a game that swung back and forth, they had come out on top with a 30-27 win against the southerners – coming from behind to snatch the win through a Blake Gibson try in the dying stages.
"I'm a little bit speechless with that," Auckland captain Harry Plummer told Sky Sport after the match.
"We probably got away with a couple there and we're just stoked our boys finished really well in the end."
The win keeps Auckland in second place in their tightly contested conference, as they look to fend off Tasman, Northland and North Harbour for a home match in the first round of the playoffs.
The pressure was on the hosts early in the match, who were playing in the wrong end of the paddock and lost Plummer to the sin bin 10 minutes in.
Tasman could only come away with a penalty goal for their early supremacy, and it was Auckland who bagged the first try after a grubber behind the line from Bryce Heem shot up off the turf perfectly for AJ Lam to secure and put down.
The hosts were in again soon after when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck went over from close range to extend their lead to 14-3 after 26 minutes.
It looked like Auckland had a hold on the game, but after a moment of magic from Levi Aumua, the pendulum swung back to Tasman.
It was rather fortuitous for the Mako. Aumua got a speculative flick back inside as he was being driven into touch, which collected a teammate in the face and propelled forward. Sione Havili Talitui was the first to the ball and ran through a defender to score.
Aumua was again in the thick of things five minutes later when an attempted chip and chase from Plummer bounced in his favour with room to move. The barnstorming midfielder collected the ball nicely and took off, bumping away from opposing halfback Taufa Funaki before sending winger Macca Springer away for Tasman to take a 15-14 lead.
A Plummer penalty goal ensured the hosts were ahead at the break, but that was short-lived when Fetuli Paea scored seven minutes into the second half. It became a bit of a pattern in the scoring, as two more Plummer penalties were split by a second try to Springer which gave Tasman a good lead.
But as had been the case all game, there was another twist in the story, and Gibson powered over from close range to see Auckland take the win.
Blake Gibson of Auckland pushes through to score the winning try. Photo / Getty
Earlier in the day, Canterbury survived a strong comeback from Counties Manukau to take a 44-39 win.
Leading by five at the break, Canterbury broke out to a 37-18 lead with 20 minutes to go. However, two tries in quick succession brought Counties right back into the contest.
Ultimately, Canterbury were able to close the match out, with a 74th-minute try to Dallas McLeod proving to be the decisive score.
Auckland 30 (AJ Lam, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Blake Gibson tries; Harry Plummer con, 3 pens, Taufa Funaki con, Simon Hickey con) Tasman 27 (Macca Springer 2, Sione Havili Talitui, Fetuli Paea tries; William Havili 2 cons, pen) HT: 17-15
