Southland almost steal victory

James Somerset bags one of Auckland's four tries in a maximum-point win. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Auckland 38 Southland 37

Eden Park spectators were easy to spot late yesterday afternoon on Dominion Rd - they were the people scratching their heads and muttering, "What was that all about?"

This was a wacky contest, but terrific fun, as Auckland almost managed to turn a 29-3 lead into a last-minute loss to a Southland team imbued with buckets of southern spirit.

Anyone who left after half an hour would have presumed Auckland coasted home.

The backs, with Tasesa Lavea and Isa Nacewa invariably at the hub, were cutting merry capers against a Southland defensive line which all but issued invitations - "step this way fellas, we're wide open here" - and it all seemed plain sailing in the sunshine.

Auckland rattled on four tries, all done with a bit of style and dash, including a first for wing James Somerset in his first run-on start in the NPC.

But somewhere round the half hour, things started to go a bit awry for Auckland.

Beefy Paul Miller barged across from a ruck, then left wing Watisoni Lotawa toed a loose ball ahead from halfway, tip-toed down the white stripe and dived over in the corner.

When Richard Apanui whistled a penalty through the posts on the stroke of halftime, it had become an 11-point margin.

Still, a halftime fortification, a couple of strong words and normal transmission would resume, right? Wrong.

Lotawa was bundled into the corner flag in the first minute as he dived across the line. Then Ward eased Auckland clear again with a couple of penalties.

Still Southland weren't done and Miller, his face the colour of his shirt on a warm afternoon, made sure a strong forward drive wasn't wasted by picking up and barrelling over in the right corner.

When Hoani MacDonald pinched an Auckland lineout and centre Pehi Te Whare put a grubber kick through, grabbed it and dived over to make it 35-30, the Auckland coaching staff would have been reaching for the worry beads.

All this time, Auckland kept splitting the Southland defence, but something would go wrong. A dropped ball, a desperate tackle or a wrong option and back would bounce the Southlanders.

Ward put Auckland eight points clear - completing an impressive seven-from-eight day with his boot - before Southland's fifth try perhaps summed up a bizarre contest.

A muffed Auckland clearing kick fell to Miller, stationary 35m out. By rights, at 118kg, with No 8 on his back and at the end of a draining afternoon, he should either have run it up one last time or thrown it out left to the fast men.

Instead he pondered his options and aimed a kick for the far corner. But it slid off his boot and pitched in front of the posts, then took a giant leg break over Brad Mika's head and fell into the path of the flying Lotawa. Wonderfully wacky. Apanui converted, then had two late dropped goal attempts, as Auckland tried to run it out of their 22m when all rugby wisdom would have had them plonk the ball as far downfield as possible.

So, Auckland bagged maximum points and sit top after three rounds. Southland, beaten 14-12 in the final moment by Waikato a week ago, could grumble at the injustice.

Auckland captain Justin Collins called it a frustrating day; his coach Pat Lam reckoned the Auckland of last year would have lost it.

Southland captain Clarke Dermody opined that at least "it was better to try and rob a game than get it robbed from you".