A battle of the big losers looms

By WYNNE GRAY

Auckland and Wellington face a further hurdle - one another - to their NPC playoff prospects when they meet at Eden Park on Saturday.

Defending champions Wellington must deal with the distress of missing out on the Ranfurly Shield after an epic duel with Canterbury, a game which will compare with the most magnetic challenges in the trophy's famous history.

And Auckland need to regroup after their second straight final-minute defeat, losing on Friday for the first time in NPC history to franchise partners Northland.

While Northland rallied with some brilliant attacks, led by wing Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Auckland's composure, defence and strategy were not top-quality.

How can a side lose when they score seven tries? Ask Xavier Rush, Carlos Spencer and the coaches.

Defending titleholders Wellington and aspiring champions Auckland have been left adrift of the leading trio, Canterbury, North Harbour and Waikato, and must regroup to drag themselves forward into their round-nine dogfight.

Unless there is a draw - and there has been a solitary stalemate, between Counties Manukau and Southland, in division one this season - either Auckland or Wellington will be even more uneasy after this weekend.

While Northland's comeback was thrilling - they were 20 points adrift at one stage - that match did not equal the shield challenge for tension, controversy and a colossal comeback.

It was a game to rival other shield classics at the same venue, such as Auckland's win there in 1985 and the failed Otago tilt in 1994.

Wellington led 29-12 with the final quarter to run, their sights set on taking the trophy for the first time in 20 years.

But this time, unlike their stoic resistance at the same ground when they won the NPC crown last year, Wellington cracked.

They could grumble about a 21-4 penalty count from referee Steve Walsh. Wellington appeared to infringe regularly, but to find fault with Canterbury just four times seemed strange.

Twin sinbinnings cost Wellington. When David Holwell was carded for a professional foul, Canterbury began their recovery with a try to Scott Robertson, and when Jason O'Halloran was binned in the final minute, Ben Blair scored to retain the Log o' Wood.

"It's the mark of a good side," phlegmatic Canterbury coach Steve Hansen said.

"You've got to give a rap to Wellington ... [but] for 50 seconds it was theirs."

At the other end of the table, Southland beat Bay of Plenty 36-20 to leapfrog Counties Manukau and gain an important edge in the countdown to relegation.

Under this year's rules, the bottom side are automatically dropped, and the 10th-placed team play the winners of division two for the right to be in the top tier next year.

In the second division, King Country's fall from grace was completed on Saturday when they were relegated to the third division.

Their fate was sealed in Blenheim, where they suffered a resounding 61-24 loss to Marlborough.

The result left the former first-division side winless after seven matches. They now have no chance of avoiding the drop, with just a match against runaway leaders Hawkes Bay to come.