Rugby: Northland and Wellington claim victories

Jone Macilai scores the match-winning try to complete Northland's comeback. Photo / Getty

Northland have taken one week to match their win total from the previous two seasons combined, mounting an impressive comeback to topple Bay of Plenty 28-23.

The Taniwha finished last in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship in 2015 and 2016, managing only a solitary victory across the two campaigns, so the celebrations that greeted the final whistle in Whangarei were understandably enthusiastic.

Adding to the emotion was the manner in which Northland recorded victory, recovering from a 23-7 halftime deficit and defending their line desperately in the final five minutes as Bay of Plenty seemed set to steal the match.

The Steamers might have felt they deserved to record such a result, given their dominance in the opening spell. After a moment's silence to honour the memory of Sir Colin Meads, the visitors assumed complete control, taking a monopoly on possession and crossing for two first-half tries.

But Bay of Plenty's supremacy was not reflected on the scoreboard at oranges, with Howard Sililoto's try making it 17-7 and giving his side some hope heading into the second half.

That hope soon proved more than justified as tries from Jack Ram and Matt Wright pulled the Taniwha within two points with 20 minutes to play, before substitute Jone Macilai went over in the corner to cap a scintillating move.

Equally impressive as Northland's fightback was the determination they then showed in defending their lead, withstanding a Steamers barrage at the death and holding up Mike Delany over the line before winning the penalty that secured a rare triumph.

The win puts Northland in the giddying heights of second on the Championship ladder, behind Wellington who started their season in frantic fashion, overcoming Manawatu 41-29 in an 11-try hair-raiser.

The intentions of the clash were plain to see in the opening minutes, with Wellington scoring on their first attack, only for Manawatu to hit back three minutes later.

The attacking intent was matched by the talent, with Julian Savea in form for Wellington and Nehe Milner-Skudder busy for Manawatu. However, the most potent runner might have been Wellington hooker Asafo Aumua, who was heavily involved in multiple tries as he regularly broke the line.

Back and forth it went for the first half, with the two sides trading four tries a piece; conversions being the difference as Wellington took a 26-22 lead at the break.

Manawatu hit the front with a long-range effort shortly after the interval, but Savea crossed to give Wellington the ascendancy with 24 minutes to go. From there, their defence held steady, and a late try to replacement back Malo Tuitama put the game to bed, with the Lions showing why they're favoured to end their Championship squalor and bounce back to the Premiership.