Counties Manukau 39 Northland 19
This was hardly the farewell Jared Payne had hoped for. In his last game before he departs for Europe, the Blues stalwart and Northland captain was on the end of a substantial defeat from a determined Counties Manukau side.
The scoreline perhaps did not reflect the match - Northland dominated possession and territory convincingly in the first half - but it did demonstrate the value of momentum within a game. The home side scored two tries in the first six minutes and never looked back as passes stuck and tackles were busted; Sherwin Stowers was a particular standout, helping himself to a hat-trick that showed off all his pace and elusiveness.
There was no lack of effort from Northland but it was stilted stuff. Gone was the self-assurance and error-free play that characterised their impressive recent win over Hawke's Bay.
"It was pretty disappointing," admitted Payne after the match. "We've had a big week - this was our third game in seven days and maybe we were a bit tired."