Lam slams pitch as win comes at a cost for Auks

Auckland's Kurtis Haiu races away from Manawatu's Hayden Triggs in the opening round of matches on Saturday. Marty Melville / Getty Images

Auckland 41 Manawatu 10

Auckland have laid a complaint with the New Zealand Rugby Union over the state of Manawatu's playing surface after their opening-round win in Palmerston North on Saturday.

The antiseptic cream was vanishing by the tubefull as players battled sand burns on the treacherous ground, which was cutting up well before halftime. It played a part in first five-eighths Tasesa Lavea twinging a hamstring in the second half, which might sideline him for this weekend.

"It was terrible. Unacceptable," Auckland coach Pat Lam said yesterday. "It was like playing on a beach. Every player got sand burns. We put a complaint in before the game."

It will be another day before Lam has a clear idea who will be available for next weekend's visit by Tasman as most of his players finished with strains directly attributable to the ground conditions.

However, Manawatu chief executive Hadyn Smith defended the ground. He admitted it was "immature grass" which needed time to take full root, but the surface had received a pass from the national turf institute.

"There's no way it wasn't safe to play," he said.

One player almost certainly out is centre Jamie Helleur, who scored two of Auckland's seven tries, but finished the day with a badly gashed mouth.

The best way to look at Auckland's display was, as Lam put it, "a start, but obviously we've got a bit to work on".

Auckland followed Canterbury's lead from their comfortable win over Hawkes Bay the previous night. When they lifted themselves they had the class and experience to stay well clear of a gallant Manawatu team, who made mincemeat of the boo brigade who had predicted a belting of cricket proportions.

Manawatu had a terrific No 8 in South African Bertus Mulder, a clever halfback in Joggie Viljoen and a lineout maestro in Hayden Triggs. Imbued with aggressive defensive instincts, Manawatu made life tough for Auckland, who for a time had to resort to professional fouls, which cost Jerome Kaino 10 minutes in the sin bin midway through the second half.

Hooker Rob Foreman had the honour of scoring the first try by one of the old second division teams and with an ounce of luck there would have been more. Still, Auckland were 24-3 up at the interval, with a bonus point already guaranteed, courtesy of tries which owed much to the handling skills of their players.

Two tries within four minutes late on massaged the winning margin. One of them was a clever kick and regather by replacement first five-eighths Lachie Munro, after smart interpassing over 60m.

Auckland were done in the penalty count. The usually reliable Brent Ward left his kicking boots at the hotel, making two of six, and they didn't have it all their own way at ruck and maul time. Kurtis Haiu was a lineout rock, and although the visitors had the better scrum, they did get caught out now and again at the set piece, where Manawatu were not the worst on show over the weekend. As Lam said, plenty to get their teeth into this week.