Auckland 22
Taranaki 6
KEY POINTS:
It's tempting to credit the magic of the Ranfurly Shield as the reason for Auckland's impressive form reversal in yesterday's smothering repulsion of Taranaki.
The truth, however, was that the ol' Log had nothing to do with it.
Good old-fashioned embarrassment was the real reason behind Auckland's transition from the incoherent rabble that lost to Counties to a side that at least shows a passing resemblance to last season's finely tuned champions.
"We knew how badly we played [last week] so for us it was just about making things right, playing how we know we can play," captain Ben Atiga said.
"The shield didn't really come into our minds, it was just about turning up and doing things right this week.
"I knew we were going to come out with a big performance, it was just about making it happen on the day."
The finishing might have lacked incisiveness and precision but the diligent adherence to structure and ball retention bore the hallmark of coach Pat Lam.
He insisted he never doubted his players, but after last week Lam must have wondered whether the four weeks he had left in the job before ascending to the Blues post was going to be long enough to knock this team into shape.
Taranaki were too limp a foe to get a true read on Auckland - Canterbury will provide a much sterner test in Christchurch this Saturday - but the scale of the improvement was dramatic.
"The boys last week were very disappointed with what we did in the jersey," Lam said.
"We knew to a man that we all dropped our standards. We certainly made Counties look good. This week we just had to front and deliver."
Auckland controlled possession to such a degree that by half-time they had made just eight tackles. They led the breakdown count 91-11 and dominated territory to the tune of 83 per cent.
Although they led just 10-6, thanks mainly to first five-eighths Lachie Munro's bout of the kicking yips, the scoreline did little to disguise their dominance.
After setting up Daniel Braid's opening try with a slashing break, Munro produced a mixed display, missing three straight penalty attempts of increasing ease towards the end of the first half.
But five minutes into the second spell Auckland were rewarded for their sustained pressure when lock Stanley Haukinima rumbled over for his first provincial try.
Wellington top the table with two bonus point wins but their results have come at a cost. Teenaged first five-eighths Daniel Kirkpatrick faces four to six weeks on the sidelines after dislocating his left shoulder in the 30-27 come-from-behind win over North Harbour on Thursday.
Fullback Cory Jane also has a shoulder injury and is in doubt for Friday's game against Counties, while promising young hooker Dane Coles is out indefinitely with a hairline stress fracture to his right leg.
Tamati Ellison (hamstring), Tane Tu'ipulotu (knee) and lock Ross Filipo (calf) are also on the injured list.
Bay of Plenty are the only other undefeated team after two rounds, having dispatched Counties Manukau 45-3 in Rotorua on Saturday.
Winless Waikato are bottom after being sunk by a 38m Miah Nikora drop goal in Hamilton on Friday night.
Northland might be favourites to be ejected from next year's competition alongside Tasman but, on the field at least, they aren't going limply, scoring five tries in their 31-43 defeat by Hawkes Bay in Napier.
Canterbury repulsed a determined Otago 20-13 in Dunedin.
