Luke Whitelock led a strong, clinical Canterbury side in their tight win © Getty Images

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Canterbury 20-15 Counties Manukau

Despite keeping possession and fighting through two minutes of overtime, Counties Manukau were unable to chase down Canterbury's five-point lead and fell 20-15 in Christchurch. Taking the lead after 20 minutes of play with a Jared Page long distance try, Counties' poor discipline cost them the lead as Canterbury kicked two penalties to get on the board and lead 6-5 into the break.

After a tight first half, Counties' discipline cost the side again with Pauliasi Manu seeing yellow for a swinging arm tackle on Ryan Crotty. Canterbury made sure to take control with the extra man, slotting a penalty and sending Luke Whitelock over the whitewash to push to a 14-5 lead.

Trading penalties, Canterbury maintained a 17-8 lead, but Counties soon closed the distance to just two-points with Sam Vaka scoring a crucial intercept try with only 15 minutes of play left. But Counties released the pressure heading into the final 10 minutes giving Canterbury a penalty and despite a fighting hard into injury time, Counties couldn't stop the clinical Canterbury side.

Akira Ioane takes on Taranaki's defence © Getty Images

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Auckland 30-24 Taranaki

Auckland have beaten defending champions Taranaki 30-24 in the national provincial rugby championship, sealing victory with a last-minute bonus-point try to substitute Rieko Ioane. It was a second defeat to start the season for Taranaki, after they had produced a second-half fightback at Eden Park on Sunday.

A 60-metre intercept try by second five-eighth Charlie Ngatai got them back to within four points, and that gap closed further with 10 minutes to go when Marty McKenzie landed a penalty. But Cody Rei was just short with a long-range penalty attempt to put the visitors ahead and the Bulls then paid for a dropped pass, which Ioane snapped up before sprinting 60m to score.

Auckland, who had drawn their first-round match with Southland, had the better of the opening spell. Winger Ben Lam got their first try with a brilliant individual effort, fending off lock Mitchell Brown and then stepping past two defenders.

But a Lam mistake, when he tried to offload deep in his own territory, allowed the Bulls to strike back through centre Sean Wainui. Auckland went back in front after second five-eighth George Moala showed his trademark power to barge his way over.

The home side looked to have got their third try just after halftime when World Cup contender Charles Piutau made a big break to set up flanker Joe Edwards, but winger Kurt Baker produced a great tackle to hold Edwards up. However, a big run by Moala creating the opportunity for first five-eighth Simon Hickey to put Auckland 25-16 ahead.

An Israel Dagg Hat-trick sealed the win for Hawke's Bay over Otago © Getty Images

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Otago 22-39 Hawke's Bay

An Israel Dagg hat-trick helped secure a Hawke's Bay 39-22 victory over Otago, while also making a strong claim for a World Cup squad spot.

After a tight first half, Otago were very much in the match as they clung to a two-point 10-8 lead over Hawke's Bay early in the second half. But three swift tries from the All Black seemed to break the spirits of the home side as they fell to a 39-8 deficit, and despite a late rally, with Michael Collins and Josh Dickson crashing over for late tries, the visitors were just too hard to chase down.

In an entertaining first half full of attacking play, both side's struggled to convert their possession into points, with Otago finding the line first through Tony Ensor, but it was Ihaia West who opened the scoring with a penalty. Hawke's Bay quickly took the lead with their first try to lock Michael Allardice from the back of a driving maul with the Magpies entering the break with a 10-5 lead.

Otago quickly closed the gap with a penalty early in the second, but after making a shambles at the kick off, Hawke's Bay was quick to pounce and Dagg soon put the game out of reach for the home side with the Magpies scoring 22 points in 10 minutes.

Zak Hohneck's break for a try wasn't enough for Bay of Plenty © Getty Images

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Manawatu 21 - 28 Waikato

Another late surge has fallen short for Manawatu, whose rise to the NPC Premiership has begun with two narrow defeats following a 28-21 loss to Waikato. Manawatu paid for giving Waikato too much of a headstart in Palmerston North, one week after storming back too late in a 36-35 loss to Counties Manukau.

Waikato dominated the opening quarter to lead 18-0 and still held that advantage at half-time before the hosts found their rhythm and were rewarded with tries to centre Jason Emery, reserve prop Fraser Armstrong and wing Nathan Tudreu. Manawatu laid siege on Waikato's tryline over the dying minutes but were denied an equalising try.

Waikato also scored three tries, through speedy fullback Shaun Stevenson in the second minute and bullocking prop Loni Uhila in the 20th before first five-eighth Damien McKenzie burrowed over with 10min remaining. Chiefs playmaker McKenzie converted two of them and slotted three penalties in an 18-point haul.

It provided Waikato with their first points of the season following a 35-20 home loss against Tasman last week. Two All Blacks in Waikato's ranks were under pressure to perform ahead of the World Cup squad selection next week.

Seasoned loose forward Liam Messam enjoyed a sound game but half-back Tawera Kerr-Barlow blotted his copy book with a yellow card offence when he deliberately knocked the ball on to halt a Manawatu raid. His departure came soon after team-mate Jordan Payne returned to the field, the second five-eighth having been sent to the sinbin before halftime for a professional foul.

Tasman 34-13 Bay of Plenty

Tasman has conjured two late tries to emerge as flattering 34-13 winners over Bay of Plenty in a scrappy NPC match in Nelson. Last year's Premiership runners-up had their hands full against the team who claimed the second-tier Championship wooden spoon in 2014 but eventually had too much firepower in Friday's cross-over game.

The result maintained a perfect start for Tasman, who beat Waikato 35-20 last week while Bay of Plenty are 1-1, having pipped North Harbour in Tauranga.

Tasman scored four tries to one but failed to assert their authority, except at scrum time. They were often let down by poor options or a heavy mistake rate in the face of gritty defence from the visitors. Not helping their cause was a yellow card shown to prop Ross Geldenhuys for a blatant stamp to the leg of Bay of Plenty halfback Jono Kitto in the 10th minute.

That came soon after No.8 Liam Squire scored the first try off an inside pass from first five-eighth Marty Banks. Wing Mitchell Scott crossed on the stroke of halftime to extend the lead to 14-3. Flanker Zak Hohneck steamed over midway through the second half to reduce the deficit to seven but Tasman kept their composure.

They set up tries in the final 10 minutes to centre Kieron Fonotia and flanker Peter Samu, the latter a 50m burst to cap an industrious outing. Banks converted from the sideline to complete a 14-point haul.

Cory Jane was prominent for the Lions on his return from the All Blacks © Getty Images

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North Harbour 0-43 Wellington Lions

Wellington Lions maintained their impressive start to the ITM Cup season, thumping North Harbour at QBE Stadium after defeating reigning champions Taranaki a week before to indicate their intentions to return to the Premeirship as soon as possible.

The traditional powerhouse Lions, relagated from to the Championship last season with just one victory, posted six tries against the outmatched North Harbour, three in each half with Vaea Fifita grabbing two, while All Blacks hopeful Cory Jane and All Blacks Sevens star Ardie Savea each played a major role.

Joe Hill scored perhaps the best of the tries, in the first half, after quick hands from the forwards put Jane into space on the short side before offloading to the winger for the five-pointer.