Rugby: Surprise upsets bonus for Auckland

By WYNNE GRAY

Southland 16 Auckland 28

It was a homecoming Auckland coach Wayne Pivac did not expect.

He was not talking about anything sinister or mysterious. But it was a case of the unexpected when he got home yesterday after a daylong trip from Invercargill to find Auckland with a useful lead in the NPC.

Pivac walked in the door to discover that Northland had upset competition frontrunners Wellington - a result which matched Taranaki's win over Waikato as the surprise of round three.

Those unlikely outcomes left Auckland alone at the top of the table, while the third straight loss for highly fancied Otago has left them in danger of missing the top four.

"They are all results which [show] how if you do not play well any side can trouble you," said Pivac. "It also keeps every team very hungry and there are bound to be some more interesting results in this competition."

Auckland had set a target of 14 points from the available 15 in the opening three rounds and hit that tally when they dispatched a spirited Southland 28-16 on Saturday.

Their main anxiety for their next clash at Eden Park on Friday against Canterbury is the fitness of hooker Keven Mealamu. He has a medial knee ligament strain but medics believe he can recover in time.

Pivac described Auckland's latest four-try win as "satisfactory but not a vintage performance."

The scrum had been very solid, helped by the late withdrawal of Southland prop Simon Kerr, but there had been too many turnovers to make it a complete forward performance.

Orene Ai'i scored twice in the first half into the strong wind, while replacement wing Iliesa Tanivula grabbed a second-half double to complete the victory.

While Southland first five-eighths David Hill kicked three first-half penalties, Pivac said Auckland's twin-try replay was a huge result into the wind.

Down breeze, Auckland continued to have plenty of possession, and Carlos Spencer controlled the tempo with a solid tactical kicking display.

Southland trailed 9-10 at halftime, but left wing Alex Telea had the terrace crowd in raptures when he scored an 80m solo try, converted by Hill, just after the break to give Southland a 16-10 lead.

However, two lapses in discipline saw accurate goalkicker Adrian Cashmore level the scores, before Tanivula, on as a replacement for Mils Muliaina, who bruised a leg, sealed the game with tries in the 56th and 64th minutes.

While Southland controlled the ball well in the second half, they could not break the Auckland defence.

No one worked harder than No 8 Matt O'Connell, while substitute lock Robin Brooke showed he still offers Auckland plenty.

Southland coach Leicester Rutledge said his side had taken another step forward but would need to carry on their development for the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato on Saturday.