Undermanned Mako pipped in Eden Park thriller
In a courageous performance by an under strength Tasman side, missing both co-captains and several experiences forwards, a full strength Auckland came out on top with a narrow 30-27 win at Eden Park. The Mako managed to pick up 2 bonus points which puts them within striking distance of a play-off spot.
By Jack Malcolm [Nelson App]
It was a slow start by the Mako, who found themselves on the backfoot early on despite putting the first points on the board through a Willy Havili penalty after Auckland captain Harry Plummer was yellow carded for slowing the ball down.
With the wind at their backs, and Auckland reduced to 14 men, the Mako weren’t able to make the most of their first-half advantages.
Despite Auckland losing lock Jamie Lane and prop Angus Ta’avao to an accidental head collision in the first minute of the game, they were dominant at scrum time although penalised several times for not pushing straight despite their advantage.
A nasty bounce of the ball saw Auckland score the first try of the game, with winger AJ Lam snatching the ball out of the air from a grubber under penalty advantage.
With the return to a full-strength XV, the home side grew their lead to double-digits with second five-eighth Roger Tuivasa-Sheck diving over a goalline breakdown to dot down.
Auckland looked set to take control, but the momentum changed when number 8 Sione Havili-Talitui powered over the line after a Levi Aumua offload took a deflection off an Aucklander and wrong-footed the defence.
Winger Macca Springer then gave his team the lead, racing away for a try that was created by Aumua who broke tackles and drew in the last defenders.
Auckland took back the lead 17-15 on the stroke of halftime with a long range penalty from Harry Plummer, the home side rewarded for controlling the run of play for the majority of the first 40.
The second half was a see-saw affair, with Auckland keeping their scoreboard ticking over with penalties while the Mako looked to build a lead with pieces of individual brilliance.
Winger Fetuli Paea scored in the corner after a perfectly-placed cross kick by Havili, before Springer scored his second, a sweetly-timed back move putting him into space following an attacking lineout.
The Mako had the lead, but Auckland weren’t willing to roll over and fought their way downfield with kick and chase and numbers arriving in force.
They then crossed the line with flanker Blake Gibson reaching out to score under the posts and give his team a three-point lead with Mako lock Max Hicks yellow carded for repeat infringements.
Auckland 30 (Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Blake Gibson, AJ Lam tries, Harry Plummer con, 3 pen, Taufa Funaki con, Simon Hickey con) defeated Tasman 27 (Macca Springer 2, Fetuli Paea, Sione Havili Talitui tries, Willy Havili pen, 2 con). HT: 17-15 Auckland.