KEY POINTS:
Auckland 33
Northland 25
Auckland have been put on notice that a poor performance now could cost them their place during the national championship playoffs.
Their come-from-behind victory over Northland on Saturday, coupled with Canterbury's canter over Hawkes Bay, has kicked the competition's frontrunners nine points clear of third-placed Wellington with three rounds remaining.
The undefeated pair are scheduled to meet in a tantalising round 10 clash that should settle home advantage for the playoffs as well as deciding which union gets to tuck away the Ranfurly Shield for the summer.
But Auckland must first deal with what appear to be comfortable home fixtures against Tasman and Otago and their coach Pat Lam will be cracking the whip to ensure his players minds don't drift too far into the future.
Lam said his players knew to treat each match in the blue and white hoops as if it could be their last. "That's the attitude the guys are taking - you can't afford to be complacent because someone else will step up and take your place," Lam said.
Derren Whitcombe's injury-enforced retirement had also been a salutary lesson, he said. "That has hit home to the boys, the realisation that every week could be their last. When Derren ran out against Counties he never knew that was going to be his last game."
Complacency certainly didn't appear to be a problem when Auckland crossed for their opening try to lock Kurtis Haiu after just seven minutes. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the try was that its creator, centre Benson Stanley, was suffering from blurred vision as he had been poked in the eye with a flag on his way out of the Homeworld Stadium tunnel. That try, however, may have come a bit too easy as Auckland relaxed and Northland stepped up their effort. Two converted tries and a David Holwell penalty saw the hosts ease to a 12-point lead midway through the opening half.
David Smith's try four minutes before the break helped cut the deficit but another Holwell penalty meant Auckland trailed by seven and were still in need of a significant second-half turnaround.
"I take my hat off to the boys for showing a bit of composure," Lam said. "A few years ago we would have lost that game."
Auckland had been guilty of kicking too much ball away, Lam said.
"I said to the boys at halftime, 'Do you want to run or do you want to tackle'? We just had to use the ball we had better."
They did. A quick transfer to the right saw prop Chris Heard barrel over Fetu Vainikolo for a try that put Auckland ahead and fullback Brent Ward then sliced through a gaping hole to finish a neat backline move to secure the bonus point.
Northland had struggled to crack the Auckland defence in the second spell but they eventually found a way through when prop Tony Coughlan barged over a minute before the end.
Among the standouts for Auckland were Haiu, whom Lam singled out for his phenomenal workrate, and 20-year-old first five-eighths Lachie Munro, who was a constant threat with the ball in hand.
Lam was less effusive in his praise of Munro, saying he needed to improve his communication and field generalship.
"He has still got a bit of work to do but we are really pleased with his progress. He is still a young kid."
Auckland's Grayson Hart, making his first start at halfback, had his day cut short when he suffered a haematoma trying to prevent Glen Martin's second try in the 19th minute.
