That wasn't the case in the opening moments however, as Manawatu looked to be in for a night peppered with line breaks and room to run as they roared out of the gates. Impressive midfielder Ngani Laumape was first to cross, before Heiden Bedwell-Curtis showed remarkable skills to fake an offload, spin and cruise in uncontested to increase their buffer.
Against Northland teams of old, a 17-0 lead would seem insurmountable, but with Manawatu reduced to 14 men, the Taniwha mounted a comeback.
Led by the multi-faceted talents of Kara Pryor, Northland made the most of their attacking advantage with a stunning 80 metre effort finished by Warren Dunn, while loose forward Mike Faleafa notched a first-half double as Northland took a two point halftime buffer.
Northland hadn't produced a comeback victory from a deficit of 15 points in over a decade, and a Jack Ram try soon after the break had hopes high of a remarkable victory.
However, the calming presence of Otere Black helped guide Manawatu back into the contest. A cross-kick to Ambrose Curtis produced a quality try, before Black's sideline conversion tied the game.
Fellow reserve Jamie Booth also provided a spark, and it was his break which eventually saw Jason Emery go over out wide to seal a nervous victory.
Manawatu 34 (Ngani Laumape, Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Ambrose Curtis, Jason Emery tries; Sam Malcolm 2 con, 2 pen, Otere Black 2 con)
Northland 27 (Mike Faleafa 2, Warren Dunn, Jack Ram tries; Peter Breen 2 con, pen)
Halftime: 17-19
