KEY POINTS:
Air NZ Cup
Auckland 49
Tasman 7
Auckland Coach Pat Lam was a little worried his side looked flat as they went through their warm-up in the spring sunshine yesterday.
He needn't have been because the contest was effectively over after 11 minutes when Brent Ward grabbed Auckland's second try for a 15-0 lead.
Captain Sam Tuitupou had given his team-mates a stern talking-to before kickoff and they attacked like lions devouring fresh meat. The flashy backs attacked at will and any time Tasman got their hands on the ball, which wasn't often, they handed it back through errors or poor kicks.
This certainly wasn't the Tasman side that pushed Waikato so hard last weekend and it was almost as if they were too respectful of their opponents.
Perhaps it was because Tasman are such a new team and because it was Heritage Day at Eden Park, the annual acknowledgement of former Auckland players who become administrators.
Tasman slowly improved. They made the tackles they had been missing earlier, hit the lineout jumpers and valued possession more highly.
They kept Auckland at bay for the rest of the half, except for a thrilling David Smith run from 65m out, and scored themselves through a slick move finished by Afeleke Pelenise.
Auckland regularly added to their lead in the second spell but also added to their error count.
It was perhaps inevitable with the result already determined but Auckland will know they will need to be better in the weeks ahead.
"I get more concerned if we don't try things," Lam countered. "We have talent here and it would be silly not to use it. We try to get that balance between throwing that miracle ball and a good offload and that's something we will have to tighten up heading into the business end [of the season]."
Alongside the notable introduction of 18-year-old Winston Stanley, in midfield beside brother Benson, watched their uncle Joe, it was Auckland's casualty list that left Lam worried.
Injuries to opensides Onosa'i Tololima-Auva'a (head knock) and Daniel Braid (shoulder) were the most concerning and Tuitupou even packed down on the side of the scrum as the game came to a messy conclusion.
It was just another illustration of why Tuitupou will be a big loss for Auckland and the Blues when he heads to the UK at the end of the season. His powerful running and defence were at their bone-jarring best yesterday and he's developed into a good leader.
"I was just looking for another position to write into my profile for overseas," quipped Tuitopou of his first run in the forwards at any level of rugby.
Auckland 49 (B. Ward 2, B. Stanley, D. Smith, J. Kaino, B. Mika tries, I. Nacewa 5 cons, 3 pens) Tasman 7 (A. Pelenise try, J. Foote con). HT: 28-7.
