Otago find their garden of Eden
With two rounds to play before the semifinals, every team has now tasted defeat in the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup.
That was thanks to Otago bringing high-flying Auckland back down to earth on Friday.
After all those previous years of under-delivery, Auckland were six from six and leading the premiership division, but that didn’t deter the championship division visitors one iota, as a Matt Faddes hat-trick inspired Otago to a 31-26 win – just their second victory at Eden Park in the past 42 years.
It was gutsy stuff from the southerners, overcoming the loss of captain Michael Collins – firstly to a yellow card and then to an ankle injury – having a shaky second-half scrum, then playing down the clock in style.
Otago were deserved winners, keeping themselves in the mix for a semifinal spot in the championship.
Auckland have been overtaken at the head of the premiership by Tasman, after the Mako held on for a 28-22 win over Wellington at Westpac Stadium.
Tasman have played one more match than Auckland but hold a two-point lead, thanks to their four-tries-to-three bonus point triumph.
It’s shaping as a five-way battle for the four semifinal berths, with fifth-placed North Harbour keeping themselves in the mix (four points off Wellington and nine off Tasman after as many games as both) following their 55-26 belting of Taranaki in New Plymouth.
Harbour winger Tevita Li ran rampant in collecting four of the visitors’ nine tries, six of which came in the first half.
It was yet more misery for the amber-and-blacks, with a fifthstraight loss seeing them parked in the relegation spot.
Canterbury ran in seven tries to thump Hawke’s Bay 49-24 in Christchurch yesterday with centre Braydon Ennor bagging a double.
Canterbury’s sixth win of the season moves them to just one point behind Tasman on the Premiership table.
Waikato continue to lead the charge for promotion, after they notched their second defence of the Ranfurly Shield with a 42-11 win against Southland in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon.
Counties Manukau could still be relegated from the Premiership
At a glance
after losing 24-20 to Championship side Northland in Pukekohe yesterday.
The Steelers hold a two-point lead over Taranaki at the foot of the Premiership with both sides having two games left.
Earlier in the week Hawke’s Bay came from 38-24 down at halftime against Northland to win a 14-try spectacle 55-41 in Napier on Wednesday night, before Manawatu¯ held on for a grim 17-15 victory over Bay of Plenty in Rotorua on Thursday. Week 7 results:
Hawke’s Bay 55 (Stacey Ili 2, Pasqualle Dunn 2, Ben Power 2, Gareth Evans, Marino Mikaele-tu’u, Jamie-jerry Taulagi tries; Taulagi 3, Brad Weber 2 con)
Northland 41 (Matty Wright 2, Jaycob Matiu, Jordan Hyland, Rene Ranger tries; Jack Debreczeni 5 con, 2 pen). HT: 24-38.
Manawatu¯ 17 (Jamie Booth, Sam Malcolm tries, Otere Black 2 con, pen) Bay of Plenty 15 (Aaron Carroll, Luke Campbell tries, Kaleb Trask con, Jason Robertson
HT: 14-3.
Otago 31 (Matt Faddes 3, Vilimoni Koroi, Jona Nareki tries; Josh Ioane 3 con)
Auckland 26 (Tumua Manu 2, Dalton Papali’i, Akira Ioane tries; Harry Plummer 3
HT: 17-19.
Waikato 42 (Samisoni Taukei’aho 2, Dwayne Sweeney, Sevu Reece, Murray Iti, Toby Smith tries; Fletcher Smith 6 con) Southland 11 (Tauasosi Tuimavave try; James Wilson 2 pen). HT: 14-11.
North Harbour 55 (Tevita Li 4, Dillon Hunt 2, Daniel Hilton-jones, Matt Duffie, Mark Telea tries; Bryn Gatland 5 con) Taranaki 26 (Regan Ware, Manase Mataele, Beaudein Waaka, Jesse Parete tries; Waaka 3 con). HT: 36-12.
Tasman 28 (Finlay Christie, Solomon Alaimalo, Jacob Norris, John Akau’olalaula tries; Mitch Hunt con, 2 pen) Wellington 22 (Xavier Numia, Galu Taufale, Thomas Umaga-jensen tries; Jackson Garden-bachop 2 con, pen). HT: 13-10.
Canterbury 49 (Braydon Ennor 2, Alex Hodgman, Mitch Drummond, George Bridge, Tom Christie, Connor Garden-bachop tries; Brett Cameron 7 con)
Hawke’s Bay 24 (Sasa Tofilau, Michael Buckley, Folau Fakatava tries; JJ Taulagi 3 con, pen). HT: 21-10.
Northland 24 (Jono Kitto, Josh Goodhue, Jordan Hyland tries; Jack Debreczeni pen, 3 cons) Counties Manukau 20 (Sione Molia, Fotu Lokotui, Toni Pulu tries; Luteru Laulala pen, con). HT: 14-10.