Auckkand 27
Southland 13
From all angles Taniela Moa is deceptive. He has also been one of the frustrating elements in the Auckland rugby team.
But he and the team gelled well enough to send a confident Southland side home without an historic first national championship win on Eden Park.
Many felt the historic victory would be on Saturday but Auckland were too organised, too durable and when necessary, too dangerous as they claimed a 27-13 margin against the visitors.
Victory was built on a robust scrum, loose forward accuracy, aggressive defence and some very sensible field direction from young five eighths Ash Moeke.
This was a muscular Southland side, but one which found traction tough in difficult, wet conditions against a solid blue and white defensive wall and a side which was unrecognisable from that which lost last week to Tasman.
"There must be a voodoo up here, we got the backlash from an Auckland team that was hurting," Southland skipper Jamie Mackintosh said.
Onosai Auva'a was sharp in the loose with the imposing Jerome Kaino beside him, the scrum stepped up with John Afoa in at tighthead, captain Benson Stanley organised the backline where Paul Williams was a rock and Atelia Pakalani was a slippery whippet.
Round all those solid components, Auckland still needed some spark to ignite their charge towards a semifinal target. It came from a late selection.
Moa had been bracketed as starting halfback until deep in the week. Coach Mark Anscombe wanted to test the reaction of both he and Grayson Hart with the young Auvasa Faleali'i confirmed on the bench.
When the cut came, Moa won the No 9 jersey and repaid that selection with one of his stronger games for Auckland. He scored twice, once from close-range when he barrelled across and then from near halfway, when he skirted a ruck and several Southland forwards before standing up the fullback.
"I think the motivation around selection worked for me," Moa confessed.
Moa's eye for a gap, work on cover-defence and concentration were strong elements in his game while his pass can be deceptive.
Some of those qualities took Moa into the All Black squad last year as injury cover but since then, his game has been patchy. On Saturday there were signs of a revival from him and the team, touches the coaching staff hope will continue.
"The guys showed a lot of character today in what was by no means a perfect game but certainly the attitude and discipline on defence was superb at times," Anscombe said.
The side had been talking about self-belief in the buildup to the game and Anscombe said their All Blacks also gave the side a huge psychological lift in belief and setting standards.
He accepted they would not be there if Auckland made the playoffs but in the meantime, the side had to soak up their attitude and knowledge.
After the oranges and pep talks, Moa scored his fine solo try in what looked as though it would be the only score until Auva'a got a great steal and replacement No 8 Peter Saili outflanked a tiring defence from halfway.
"The challenge to our guys, who did well today, is to look at the things we did well and we have a tough one next against Taranaki and we have to bring consistency to our game," said Anscombe
Moa was a perfect example. His attack always asked questions of defenders but it was the other areas where he had been asked to ramp up his game.
"His work-on is accuracy in defence, putting himself in play and lifting his work rate," said Anscombe.
