Rugby: Auckland

The match between last season's Gallaher Shield finalists Ponsonby and Waitemata in Henderson turned into the thriller it was billed to be, with Waitemata winning 21-11.

Both sides were unbeaten after the previous seven matches of the qualifying round of the championship.

Waitemata weathered Ponsonby's initial attack and implemented a game plan of hard grind and impenetrable defence. Their tight five worked impressively as a unit and well before the end had splintered their tough opposition all over the park.

With that platform, brilliant No 8 Sione Lauaki roamed free, invariably breaking the defence up the middle and setting up a backline whose thrust and trickery was as good as it gets at club level.

Skipper and halfback Craig McGrath gave his first five-eighths Lee Stensness as much ball as he could handle and the Blues player had a hand in two of Waitemata's three tries.

The round turned out to be very successful for the three West Auckland-based sides, with Waitakere City shocking Marist 14-10 and Suburbs running in seven tries to beat Pakuranga 43-0.

The only certain thing with one round left is that Pakuranga will play the second half of the season in premier two, along with either Suburbs (14 points), East Tamaki (12) or Waitakere City (11).

Teachers Eastern will be promoted along with either Te Papapa Onehunga or Eden.