Rugby: Auckland keep title hopes alive with fortunate win

Counties Manukau captain Jamie Chipman eyes up Auckland hooker Tom McCartney. Photo / Richard Robinson

Auckland 25 Counties Manukau 22

Auckland clung on for a controversial victory over Counties Manukau last night to keep their title hopes alive.

Referee Kane McBride ruled out what would have been the winning try on fulltime to Counties Manukau prop Simon Lemalu in the cross-division ITM Cup match at Eden Park.

Lemalu grabbed the ball out of a ruck and hurled himself over the line but as the Steelers celebrated, McBride awarded Auckland a penalty because Lemalu had not been on his feet. Auckland were doubly lucky, as the Steelers had turned down a simple penalty to draw the match, a result which would have sent the blue and whites' premiership chances crashing.

This was a poor match with plenty of stops and a shortage of starts, and while Auckland snared the crucial competition points, they did not showcase themselves as title prospects.

Strong wing George Moala did impress but Auckland's game was limited to usually static forward crashes while the Steelers showed more enterprise. Auckland also got the rub of the green from McBride and probably benefited from Counties Manukau's lowly position in the championship division which persuaded the visitors to go for the late try instead of a penalty goal.

Auckland first five-eighths Gareth Anscombe went on a penalty kicking spree in the first half, landing five out of six attempts although Counties Manukau led 16-15 at the break.

Auckland battled to an early 12-3 advantage as the Steelers conceded a flood of penalties. Auckland were relying heavily on their forwards and it was Counties Manukau who were more prepared to spread the ball around.

The visitors took the lead with a nicely worked long range move. Hooker Grant Henson, playing his 100th match for Counties Manukau, provided one of the key passes for wing Sherwin Stowers to score.

Henson lasted until the 60th minute and his departure saw the Counties Manukau scrum disintegrate.

Auckland 25 (George Moala try; Gareth Anscombe 6 pen, con)

Counties Manukau 22 (Sherwin Stowers try; Baden Kerr 5 pen, con).

HT: 15-16.