Auckland has all the skills

Auckland 27 North Harbour 10

Auckland might be the glamour boys of the NPC with more Alice bands on show than a girls' slumber party but they certainly showed that appearances can be deceptive.

The tricks and flicks were never far from view but there was a mongrel about Auckland's play at North Harbour Stadium, particularly in defence, that was too often missing from last season's failed campaign.

First, Auckland had to grind down a stubborn but ultimately inaccurate and inexperienced Harbour side before they eased away to claim local bragging rights. More importantly they got their NPC season off to the best possible start.

Considering they won only one of their opening five games in 2004, including a thrilling 34-32 loss to Harbour at Eden Park, it might just be the result they need to kick on this year.

The significance was not lost on Auckland coach Pat Lam but he refused to get too carried away. "I was pleased with the start [to our campaign] but it is just a start," he cautioned.

The only downside was the failure to secure a bonus point for a fourth try and two players, Steve Devine (head) and Semisi Telefoni (eye), were taken to hospital.

Auckland had to do it with a minimum of possession, only 37 per cent, but their greater experience and greater firepower shone through after being well led by first five-eighths Tasesa Lavea. He kicked intelligently and invariably took the right options but he was able to do so because of an effective forward pack.

It was a turgid opening half hour as combative defence was the order of the day. Harbour had possession but little to show for it through a combination of solid Auckland defence, predictable one-off running and slow second-phase ball.

How Harbour must have wished their water boy Jonah Lomu was available and back to the sort of form that took the rugby world by storm. They also might have wished that they had been able to hang on to the likes of Rico Gear, Craig Newby and Nick Evans this season, rather than see them run off to greener pastures.

Auckland played with more adventure but they were also prone to errors as they sometimes lacked patience. The one shining light of the opening stanza was a try to Auckland wing Tony Koonwaiyou, who finished off a 60-metre break after a Harbour turnover.

It was somewhat appropriate that The Rolling Stones classic, Start Me Up, blared out at halftime. Fans might have hoped both sides were listening.

It took only three minutes for Auckland to answer the call, when Brad Mika burst over for a converted try after Angus Macdonald made a decisive half-break.

It looked like they might get on something of a roll as they attacked with speed and penetration but it was Harbour who hit back to give the home fans some hope, when Brent Wilson thundered over for a try to reduce the gap to 20-10.

Harbour needed to be the next team to score, but strong-running Auckland second five-eighths Isa Nacewa sliced too easily through a Tusi Pisi tackle in the 58th minute to score beside the posts.

Again it looked like Auckland might assert their dominance and run away with the game but they were guilty of chasing a fourth try too desperately and errors once again crept into their play. In the end, Brent Ward's conversion, his fifth successful kick from five attempts, rounded out the scoring.

Harbour didn't give up but it is difficult, certainly on this performance, to see them challenging at the end of the season. Their scrum and lineout work was solid and halfback Junior Poluleuligaga looked promising but they were missing the quality needed to lift them to the next level.

Harbour coach Allan Pollock was still pretty confident after the game. "You don't win or lose the NPC after the first round," he said. "We have got eight more games to get 28 compet ition points in the bank [to make the semifinals]."

To borrow an old rugby cliche, they have plenty to work on.

North Harbour 10 (B. Wilson try; A. Whiteman pen, con). Auckland 27 (T. Koonwaiyou, B. Mika, I. Nacewa tries; B. Ward 2 pens, 3 cons).

- HERALD ON SUNDAY