Auckland 44
Tasman 24
Auckland will be hard to contain in the ITM Cup Premiership final should they play in this effervescent fashion.
They shut the Makos out of this Eden Park Premiership semifinal, despite a late flourish from the visitors. Staunch defence, melded with some clever and highly effective attacking play, cancelled out the fact they were hammered in the scrums. But there were only 13 in the whole game, so it didn't matter in the final analysis.
The Tasman props Kane Hames and Siua Halanukonuka targeted the set-piece, and lock Joe Wheeler hurled himself around and pulled down ball, but the Makos were largely toothless in the face of an Auckland onslaught, led by the remarkable Akira Ioane. Centre Kieron Fonotia made a couple of beefy charges, and Tasman did ultimately tally three tries, but it was too little and much too late.
This was, funnily enough, Auckland's first home playoff victory since they clinched the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup under Pat Lam. They had dropped their 2010 semifinal 38-37 to Waikato, courtesy of an 83rd minute try to the Mooloos, converted by none other than Trent Renata, who was at fullback for Tasman here.