KEY POINTS:
Southland carved out their first home win of the season, beating Counties Manukau 31-8 in a fifth round Air NZ Cup rugby match at Invercargill tonight.
In their other home games, Southland had lost to Otago in the first round and to championship leaders Wellington 7-26 last weekend.
Tonight's bonus-point win which takes them to 14 points from three wins and two defeats, sets them up for next week's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Auckland.
Southland scored five tries through hooker David Hall and fullback Mark Wells in the first half, with Jason Kawau, Pehi Te Whare and Hua Tamariki getting the rest in the second half.
Counties, who now have conceded 24 tries in five games, replied with a first half penalty by fullback Tim Nanai-Williams and a consolation try on the final hooter by substitute Viliami Fihaki.
With All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan back in the fold, Southland controlled most of the first half but were stopped time and again by a combination of handling errors and gritty defending by Counties.
First, Southland battered away at Counties' left flank and then switched to the right when they couldn't find a way through.
After a fruitless 20 minutes, skipper Jamie Mackintosh changed strategy and called on his forwards to keep the ball tight with one-off drives.
It paid off in the 29th minute when hooker David Hall was driven over for a try with Mackintosh providing the supporting muscle.
Rookie first five-eighth, Robbie Robinson, 19, starting the match instead of regular Blair Stewart, missed the conversion but slotted three others later.
Counties, denied a try by Cowan earlier in the match after the halfback managed to get his hand onto the ball at the same time as wing Siale Piatau in the scoring zone, closed the gap on the dot of halftime.
From a rare incursion into the Southland 22m zone, Counties provoked Southland into conceding a penalty which Nanai-Williams converted.
However, Counties, whose only win came over Auckland in the opening round, were unable to raise their game after the breather.
Southland dictated play for most of the second half and deservedly scored three more tries.
Southland 31 (David Hall, Mark Wells, Jason Kawau, Pehi Te Whare, Hua Tamariki tries; Robinson 3 con)) Counties Manukau 8 (Viliami Fihaki try; Tim Nanai-Williams pen). Halftime: 5-3.
- NZPA
