Southland 19 Auckland 44
KEY POINTS:
Auckland's team of tyros had too much creativity and continuity for Southland, topping a typically stubborn and organised Southland effort with some lightning raids yesterday.
Of the youngsters, perhaps Auckland halfback Taniela Moa stood out. He is a powerful customer; his weight is listed at 97kg but it would be no surprise if he scaled in at over 100kg, especially with the woolly hairdo he had on yesterday.
When he runs, he is a significant problem for the close defence around the rucks and mauls; effective in helping his forwards to run off him.
When he passes off the ground, his pass is long and serviceable.
And when he gets involved in passing movements two or three times - as he did in the bonus point try Auckland scored through Kurtis Haiu before halftime - his darts, no-look passes and little back-flip offloads can make defences creak and groan alarmingly. In a team like Auckland, where big, chunky forwards (and backs) like nothing more than to run on to inviting passes, Moa has an obvious creative role to play.
All he's got to do is get rid of the temptation to scuttle crossfield, running a few little steps and then passing - as his delivery then becomes Intercept City. At times early in this match, hungry Southlanders were lining up to connect with these high-flying gift packages but it didn't quite work out.
The other relative newbie to show out was first five-eighths Lachie Munro. Auckland were at their best soaking up the pressure and then suddenly striking back. Munro did just that with the first try, attacking his own kick-ahead and getting the bounce to score under the bar. He then passed to winger David Smith for a midfield break which led to a try to another youngster, flanker Onosa'i Tololima-Auva'a.
Then a real oddity - Tololima-Auva'a scored his second after two consecutive turnovers in the tackle, before the ruck was formed. Sam Tuitupou got the first, scuttling away from making a tackle with the ball and, when Southland halfback Jimmy Cowan got back to make yet another heroic tackle, Tololima-Auva'a burgled the ball away from Cowan and strode over for the touchdown.
Tololima-Auva'a is a busy player who'll probably always have to battle perceptions he is too small. He gets to grips with the ball on the ground and, when Auckland are in this running and passing mood, he is a fine link and continuity player. If Daniel Braid - so clearly the number two No 7 in the country it is a surprise he is not going to France - decides to shift overseas, at least Auckland have a replacement.
After a try to fullback Brent Ward early in the second half, the Auckland star dimmed somewhat as they allowed Southland first five-eighths Blair Stewart to stroll through a gap and then lock Troy Flavell was sin-binned after a high tackle and a scuffle.
Southland banged away, without much penetration, before Flavell came back with no addition to the score.
If Auckland had a weak point, it was the lineout which performed with little authority - and Moa's crossfield Christmas presents, one of which led to an intercept and nearly to Southland's second try.
Coach Pat Lam will have wanted his young side to have gone on with more of the fluid stuff, instead of which they got tangled up when the match and bonus point were already decided.
However, if Lam's overall plan was to give some stars a rest while boosting the confidence of the young 'uns, you'd have to say it worked.
Southland 19 (B. Stewart try; con, 4 pen), Auckland 44 (L. Munro, O. Tololima-Auva'a 2, K. Haiu, B. Ward, G. Hart tries; Ward 2 pen, 3 con; Munro con). Halftime: 12-32.
