North Harbour started strong but struggled to deliver in the second half © Getty Images

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Bay of Plenty 21-14 North Harbour

Bay of Plenty have ended their 12-match losing streak and broke North Harbour spirits with a tight win in Rotorua on Sunday. Both sides were dogged with errors early in the piece and despite near perfect conditions kickers on both sides missed four early penalty attempts between them, The deadlock was eventually broken by North Harbour hooker James Parsons in the twentieth-minute, but the Steamers hit back swiftly with tighthead prop Mike Kainga diving over the line from a lineout drive.

In a see-sawing contest North Harbour were next to cross the whitewash with Tevita Li setting up prop Greg Pleasants who plunged over in the corner against his old club and secured a 14-10 lead heading into the half-time break.

Quick out of the gates after the break the Steamers fullback Leroy van Dam ran in a great try to put the Steamers in a tight lead. North Harbour struggled throughout the second half, constantly losing the ball in tackles and were too often stilted. Although the Steamers struggled to find fluency, they managed to hold solid in defence and found the tryline for a third try while Nick Evemy converted two penalties to push the Steamers ahead to a strong lead that North Harbour were unable to chase down despite a late run in the closing minutes.

Championship leaders Manawatu were too good for Counties Manukau © Getty Images

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Manawatu 26-10 Counties Manukau

Counties Manukau's Ranfurly Shield hangover worsened after they were outplayed 26-10 by Manawatu in an ITM Cup cross-over match in Palmerston North on Sunday. Counties looked disjointed and out of sorts at FMG Stadium, still hurting after losing the Shield 27-21 to Hawke's Bay last week.

In contrast, Championship leaders Manawatu were efficient and organised in running in two second-half tries to record their fourth win from five matches, and their second victory over a Premiership team.

Manawatu edged to a 6-3 lead at the break after a largely forgettable first half, despite conceding a huge territorial advantage to Counties. Fronting up for their second game in four days after shading Bay of Plenty 29-27 on Wednesday, Manawatu impressed once they cut back the handling errors which plagued them in the first half.

Second five-eighth Jason Emery crossed five minutes after the restart, finishing off slick work from sparky No.10 Jade Te Rure who scored himself soon after to give Manawatu a 20-3 lead after 52 minutes. Counties finally discovered some urgency and continuity, building pressure with quick recycling at the breakdown, and earning late reward when flanker Onosa'i Tololima-Auva'a powered over with 13 minutes to go.

However, a couple of penalties from replacement first five-eighth Otere Black re-established Manawatu's healthy lead as Counties' attempted resurgence fizzled out.

Taranaki 41-19 Southland

Taranaki ran in six tries to down a tenacious Southland in their ITM Cup cross-over match in New Plymouth on Saturday. The wins shifts Taranaki up into second place on the Premiership table, one point behind defending champions Canterbury who have a match in hand.

Southland started brightly, but James Hardie's opening effort after four minutes was negated by two quickfire Taranaki tries to half-back Jamison Gibson-Park and No.8 Blade Thomson. Thomson crossed for his second just past the half-hour mark, but Southland stayed in touch through another Hardie try to trail 19-14 at half-time.

Blindside flanker Iopu Iopu-Aso gave Taranaki the bonus point try five minutes after the restart, then powerful centre Seta Tamanivalu extended their lead to 31-14 with 20 minutes remaining. A Marty McKenzie dropped goal put the home team 20 points in front at the 70-minute mark, although replacement hooker Dillan Halaholo narrowed the gap for Southland with three minutes in hand.

The home team had the last say, however, lock James Broadhurst galloping 60 metres in the last seconds of play for Taranaki's sixth.

Blake Gibson (L) of Auckland attempts to push off Jason Woodward © Getty Images

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Auckland 31-30 Wellington

Auckland staged a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat Wellington 31-30 in an ITM Cup thriller at Eden Park.

Auckland looked dead and buried when going into the sheds 30-6 down after an error-riddled performance in the first half. Lions centre Tu Umaga-Marshall opened the scoring after galloping 50m for an intercept try and Shaun Treeby and Ambrose Curtis inflicted more pain on the hosts.

Auckland mounted a rousing second-half comeback, however, with tries to flanker Blake Gibson and fly-half Simon Hickey. And when winger Vince Aso scored in the corner with just five minutes remaining, they took the lead.

Auckland reclaimed the Fred Lucas Memorial Trophy and consigned Wellington to a winless 0-4 record so far this season.

Northland 23-21 Hawke's Bay

A sensational Dan Hawkins sideline conversion saw Northland snatch an extra-time victory over Hawke's Bay 23-21 in their national provincial championship rugby match at a wet Whangarei.

The visitors scored the only try of the first half the Bay's decision to decline a kickable penalty goal proved astute as flanker Brendon O'Connor drove over from well-controlled maul midway through the half.

The Bay led 11-6 at half-time after both teams had also kicked two penalties apiece and they extended the margin to 18-6 when winger Ryan Tongia capitalised on a Northland error after the ball was spilled from an aerial kick.

Dan Pryor crossed after charging down a Bay clearing kick and Dan Hawkins converted and then landed a penalty goal to close the margin to two but Matt Berquist gave the Bay a little more breathing room with another penalty goal after 70 minutes

Northland then camped on the Bay line late in the match before Stolberg went over but it was Hawkins who sealed the deal with his sideline conversion.

Tasman 23-16 Waikato

A last-gasp try to tighthead prop Siua Halanukonuka saw Tasman steal a 23-16 National Provincial Championship rugby win over a spirited Waikato team at Trafalgar Park. Tasman took an early 7-0 lead after veteran fullback Robbie Malneek split the defence from 45m out and beat the cover to dive in at the corner.

Waikato would rue a missed try after 32 minutes when winger Declan O'Donnell dropped the ball on the line after a period of intensive pressure. And Malneek almost repeated his first-half heroics soon after the restart when he appeared to score after a lengthy Tasman build-up. But a TMO referral ruled a knock-on.

Waikato finally earned some reward for their territorial dominance when O'Donnell capped an end-to-end movement with a try in the corner. Damien McKenzie's conversion and a subsequent penalty eventually cut the deficit to just 16-13 and anther saw the scores level to set up a tense final quarter.

Both teams created opportunities over the dying stages, with Waikato's confidence growing as the match wore on but it was Halanukonuka who finally sealed the issue right at the death.

Otago 16-23 Canterbury

ITM Cup champions Canterbury racked up their fourth consecutive win with an efficient performance to beat Otago in Dunedin, but they were pushed much harder than in their previous games against Auckland, Waikato and Northland - which fixtures they had won by a combined 154-39 scoreline.

Otago lept to a 13-0 lead after 22 minutes, Hayden Parker landing two early penalties and stabbing through the kick which set up centre Jayden Spence's try, but Canterbury gradually battled their way back into the game with dominant possession and territory and improving work at the breakdown and lineout. Still, the Razorbacks looked set to take a 13-3 lead half-time only for Nasi Manu to to score a converted touchdown from a try-line ruck in the final minute of the stanza.

Richie Mo'unga levelled the scores with a penalty seven minutes after the restart, and the young five-eighth also featured in Canterbury's next try when he slipped the inside pass for winger Rob Thompson to score 10 minutes later. Otago's defensive effort impressed in restricting a Canterbury side that had run in 20 tries in their first three games to just two, but the Premiership leaders were never seriously threatened as they played uncontested scrums once injury had decimated the hosts' front-row stocks.

Nehe Milner-Skudder starred for Manawatu Turbos © Getty Images

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Manawatu Turbos 29-27 Bay of Plenty Steamers

Manawatu Turbos have claimed their third victory in four outings this season, defeating ITM Cup Championship rivals Bay of Plenty Steamers in an error-strewn match at Palmerston North.

Manawatu claimed the victory because they were more dangerous with ball in hand, and because they kicked four from four penalty goals as Bay of Plenty dominated possession but lacked an incisive attack while their kickers had an off-day.

The Turbos scored two tries in two minutes shortly before half-time, through winger Nathan Tudreu and back-rower Antonio Kirikiri, to go to the break with a nine-point buffer, and they effectively won the game when Newton Tudreu, the brother of Nathan on the other wing, capped a length-of-the-field break six minutes into the second stanza.

The Steamers outscored their hosts four tries to three - through Siegfried Fisiihoi, Culum Retallick, Mike Kainga and Joe Royal, tries - but Otere Black proved key for the Turbos home with four penalty goals.