Counties Manukau 35
Manawatu 14
The dream continues - Counties Manukau in the top flight next season. It could happen. It really could. They are five points closer to making it so after disposing of a Manawatu side that had to be scraped off Northland's windshield just six days ago.
These sorts of easy wins
have been beyond Counties since they made the Premier Division. Not now.
Maybe it's all down to Tana Umaga. Maybe it just took four years for the union to find its feet. Maybe something has just clicked. Whatever, they are suddenly good enough to start against the likes of Manawatu as heavy favourites and live up to their billing.
They achieved their win last night with some fairly straightforward football. They kicked for territory then used the power and pace of their loose trio to hammer big holes and spread it wide when the defence was split.
Fritz Lee had a boomer at No 8. He's a big unit - a fridge on wheels - yet travels a little easier. He scored the first try when he blasted onto some slick handling and set up the second when he shot off after snaffling turnover ball and fired a glorious rocket pass to wing Ahsee Tuala.
His loose forward colleague Mark Selwyn was just as noticeable on the blindside and those two in particular gave the Steelers some continuity.
Where they were also that bit sharper was in their work at the counter ruck - something which has become a real feature of the game in recent months.
Gone are the days when the first man in scrabbles on the deck trying to get his mitts on the ball. Counties' coach Milton Haig has obviously picked that the way to play is to tackle low and use the second and third men there to try to step over the ball.
Counties worked that well and if it hadn't been for some sloppy ball retention and tendency for the ball carrier to get isolated, they would have won with more to spare. Not that it wasn't comfortable - it was - but Manawatu, as they showed last week, once they spring a leak, can quickly flood.
Sherwin Stowers could sniff blood. There will no doubt be a million and one reasons put forward by the All Black selectors as to why Stowers isn't a test prospect.
If they suggest he's not quick enough, however, they will be laughed out of town.
Stowers scorched through a swathe of green jerseys with his first touch and then scored a spectacular solo try midway through the second half when he beat five tacklers on a 60 metre run.
The man can run. He can swerve and he can show up off his wing looking for work. Test prospect or not, Stowers is a livewire at this level - the sort of player worth paying money to watch.
As for the man himself, Mr Umaga, he loped off after 45 minutes. His work was done. Counties had the game in the bag and with 37 years on the clock, he needs to conserve energy for the battles ahead.
There isn't enough spring in his step or blast in his pipes to be the player he was five years ago but what he did bring was defensive bite and directed those around him.
He was always talking, always pointing and it's obvious that the backs around him feel some sense of security, some sense of certainty having the former All Black captain out there with them.
His other key offering was his off-loading. Every time, he went in, the ball came out.
The excitement is brewing in Pukekohe with the team having won three of their first four games but there is still plenty for them to work on. If their scrummaging doesn't improve, they will struggle to beat the major unions.
The game has become much more about the tackled ball than the set piece, but still, Counties will be vulnerable on a wet night against a heavy pack if they can't hold steady.
Coach Haig was grateful for the five points but not ecstatic about the performance.
"I was a bit disappointed about letting that last try in as we specifically talked about having pride in our line. We have come a long way but we still have some growing to do."
Counties Manukau 35 (F. Lee, M. Selwyn, A. Tuala, S. Stowers, T, Nanai-Williams tries; B. Lee 5 cons) Manawatu 14 (C. Stone, I. Thompson tries; C. Clare con; Thompson con). Halftime: 14-7.
