Canterbury is seven points clear of Otago, who beat Northland 29-10 to move into second place, one point ahead of Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Tasman.
Taranaki was well beaten 43-17 by Bay of Plenty, while Hawke's Bay got back on the winner's board with a 45-19 win over Wellington. Tasman went down 21-29 as Auckland claimed its first win of the season.
Counties Manukau 22 North Harbour 19
Consecutive red zone infringements by the home team, Counties Manukau, at Pukekohe allowed North Harbour first five-eighths Oscar Koller two easy chances to land penalty goals, and he made no mistake. But North Harbour conceded their own penalties as the home team pack went to work on their line before centre Tevita Ofa charged over after 16 minutes. In the 20th minute, an outstanding scrum out from the line saw a tighthead claimed by North Harbour and from the resulting penalty, halfback Luke Campbell tapped the ball and ran in a try to claim an 11-7 lead that carried through the remainder of the first half.
Sixteen minutes into the second half, Counties tried a penalty tap of their own from further out, and it was lock Leo Ngatai-Tafau who burrowed low to score. Five minutes later, North Harbour worked a scrum move to create a foundation that provided wing Tima Fainga'anuku with a try when he picked the ball up at the tackle and ploughed through the line to score. But, with 12 minutes left, first five-eighths Gibson Popoali'i somehow went through the Harbour defenders, and his conversion drew the sides level. Then, with three minutes left, he landed a 40m penalty goal to provide his side's first win of the season.
Counties Manukau 22 (Tevita Ofa, Leo Ngatai-Tafau, Gibson Popoali'i tries; Popoali'i 2 con, pen) North Harbour 19 (Luke Campbell, Tima Fainga'anuku tries; Oscar Koller 3 pen). HT: 7-11
Otago 29 Northland 10
Ten minutes into the Dunedin game, some Otago counter-rucking looked to have provided a scoring chance, but hooker Henry Bell's pass at stand-off was intercepted by Northland No8 Terrell Peita, who stormed downfield for 70m unchallenged to steal a try. But eight minutes later, the home pack went to work, inspired by No8 Christian Lio-Willie. However, a solo tap kick penalty saw him held up, but 10 minutes later, better continuity allowed flanker Will Stoddart to benefit from a strong run by lock Will Tucker to level the scores.
Tied 7-7 at the turn, Otago edged ahead, after Northland flanker Rob Rush was sin-binned, via a 46th-minute try to wing Jae Broomfield, on the end of long passes from Lio-Willie and centre Josh Timu. Northland's first five-eighths landed a penalty goal, but that was to be their scoring lot. In the 58th minute, Otago flanker Casey Lucas tidied poor lineout ball from the home team, saw a gap and ran on a tangent to score a remarkable try under the posts. Seven minutes from the end, a clever blindside choice saw replacement halfback Nathan Hastie score after efforts by wing Jona Nareki, replacement wing Josh Whaanga, and Broomfield in the lead-up to seal the win.
Otago 29 (Will Stodart, Jae Broomfield, Luke Casey, Nathan Hastie tries; Cameron Millar 3 con, pen) Northland 10 (Terell Peita try; Rivez Reihana con, pen). HT: 7-7
Hawke's Bay 45 Wellington 19
Hawke's Bay had the incentive of marking Tom Parsons' 100th game for the Bay when hosting Wellington in Napier, and they opened their effort with flanker Miracle Fai'ilagi crossing from a lineout drive. But after 11 minutes, orthodox ball work didn't work, so fullback Stanley Solomon made use of a bounced pass to cut back through the home defence for Wellington's first points. After another five minutes, Parsons made a break that took play deep into the 22m area, and after two rucks, he drove over for a try. Into the second quarter, replacement centre Lukas Ripley ran hard on the angle to take a long pass from halfback Folau Fakatava to extend the score.
The third quarter was a to-and-fro battle before a left-footed 50-22 from fullback Zarn Sullivan allowed a Bay lineout maul, which saw the ball flicked to wing Jonah Lowe to score in the corner. Solomon featured on the right for Wellington before Tjay Clarke on the left kicked ahead, reclaimed and scored on his back after 62 minutes. A Bay handling error saw replacement Esi Komasaisavai take the ball and clear out 70m downfield to score. After 71 minutes, Bay replacement Andrew Auatevalu stepped through the Wellington defence to score, and a minute from the end, flanker Cooper Flanders finished things off with a lineout maul try.
Hawke's Bay 45 (Miracle Fai'ilagi, Tom Parsons, Lukas Ripley, Jonah Lowe, Andrew Tauatevalu, Cooper Flanders tries; Harry Godfrey 3 con, pen; Zarn Sullivan 3 con) Wellington 19 (Stanley Solomon, TJay Clarke, Esi Komasaisavai tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 2 con). HT: 24-7
Manawatū 36 Waikato 26
Manawatū demonstrated its developing confidence when starting well against Waikato in Palmerston North, with No8 Mosese Bason taking advantage of a disintegrating maul to charge over in the corner for the home side after seven minutes. Seven minutes later, a pitch-perfect 50-22 was achieved by fullback Drew Wild, and from the resulting lineout lock Taine Roiri scored in a maul. After 24 minutes, Waikato fullback Tepaea Cook-Savage broke through the midfield, and when Manawatū took the ball out, the visitors worked the ball wide before halfback Rui Farrant threw a dummy and ran through from a ruck to score. Wild's restart was knocked into touch by second five-eighths Gideon Wrampling, and when he threw the ball away, a penalty saw Manawatū call a lineout, and the resulting play created a chance for wing Taniela Filimone to score. However, the value was immediately undone when Manawatū botched the restart with wing Dan Sinkinson scoring an easy try. But they recovered and went to the half leading 22-12, wing Kyle Brown scoring a try off a long pass from halfback Jordi Viljoen.
Wrampling pulled a try back four minutes into the second half after a sustained period of Waikato attack, while in the 51st minute Viljoen broke for 50m from a ruck that saw Riore score his second try. Hooker Sean Ralph pulled the margin back at the start of the last quarter with a try that got Waikato within three points. Twelve minutes from the end, Waikato was caught offside in front of the posts. A scrum was called, and Wild crossed for the winner.
Manawatū 36 (Mosese Bason, Taine Roiri 2, Taniela Filimone, Kyle Brown, Drew Wild tries; Wild 2 con; Sam Coles con) Waikato 26 (Rui Farrant, Dan Sinkinson, Gideon Wrampling, Sean Ralph tries; Aaron Cruden 3 con). HT: 22-12
Southland 14 Canterbury 54
Southland enjoyed a rousing week with the Ranfurly Shield but always acknowledged the threat from challenger Canterbury, something No8 Corey Kellow highlighted when scoring off the back of a fifth-minute scrum. That was followed by a kick ahead by second five-eighths Dallas McLeod, who saw Nguntungane Punivai secure the ball and pass inside to McLeod, who scored. In the 20th minute, Canterbury's loose forwards combined for Dom Gardiner to score. Southland lost second five-eighths Faletoi Peni to the sin-bin, and in the resulting play, Punivai raced down the sideline with halfback Louie Chapman in support to score.
Down by 28 points at the turn, it was only uphill for Southland, but three minutes into the second half, hooker Jack Taylor took the ball from a ruck, stepped past a defender and ran in a try. But Canterbury's response was immediate, a charge-down giving Chapman the chance to score his second try. And soon after, lock Jamie Hannah scored to ensure the Shield's move north further. Hooker George Bell scored another before replacement forward Sam Fischli got one back for Southland. As the home attempted to finish positively, McLeod picked up a home pass and ran in the final try of the Canterbury victory.
Southland 14 (Jack Taylor, Sam Fishchli tries; Byron Smith con; Dan Hollinshead con) Canterbury 54 (Corey Kellow, Dom Gardiner, Dallas McLeod 2, Louie Chapman 2, Jamie Hannah, George Bell tries; James White 7 con). HT: 0-28
Taranaki 17 Bay of Plenty 43
Blindside efficiency off a five-metre scrum provided wing Ngahori McGarvey-Black with the room needed to score the opening try in the corner after 15 minutes. That scrum strength was rewarded five minutes later with a big shove, giving halfback Richard Judd the time and space to go around the pack and score. It was the Bay lineout that created the chance in the 32nd minute for lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi to drive over for the try. And on halftime, wing Fine Fineangonofo's power carried him through the defence for a try.
Six minutes into the second half, Taranaki halfback Adam Lennox burst from a ruck created by flanker Kaylum Boshier's drive, with the ball and finally ended the try drought for the home team. In the 66th minute, replacement fullback Lucas Cashmore slipped a kick along the touchline and Fineangonofo ran onto it for his second try. Replacement forward Hemopo Cunningham scored Taranaki's second, but they were soon reduced to 14 as a result of wing Josh Setu's yellow card, and Bay replacement forward Semisi Paea benefited with a try, followed by Cashmore and Fineangonofo's carbon copy for the latter's hat-trick of tries to complete a stunning win.
Taranaki 17 (Adam Lennox, Hemopo Cunningham tries; Josh Jacomb 2 con, pen) Bay of Plenty 43 (Ngahori McGarvey-Black, Richard Judd, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Fine Fineangonofo 3, Semisi Paea tries; Kaleb Trask 3 con; Lucas Cashmore con). HT: 3-26
Tasman 21 Auckland 29
Auckland made the most of a promising start when No8 Sam Hainsworth-Fa'aofo was on hand from flanker Che Clark's run off a lineout, to pick up the ball and score in the seventh minute. Five minutes later, an outstanding lineout drive saw the No8 cross for his second try. But after 17 minutes, a Caleb Clarke goal-line clearing kick found Tasman wing Macca Springer, who saw a gap and sped through it for the home team's first try. Tasman turned the lineout maul back on Auckland just before halftime to turn ahead 14-12.
Auckland reclaimed the lead when second five-eighth Xavi Taele landed a 53rd-minute penalty goal, but in the 67th minute, a scrum move out from the Auckland posts saw second five-eighths Levi Aumua score. Auckland's backs unleashed a contender for the best move of the season to allow wing Caleb Tangitau to streak to a try with nine minutes left. Taele's sideline conversion regained the lead, and four minutes from the end, Clarke emerged from a goal-line maul to secure Auckland's first win.
Tasman 21 (Macca Springer, Tomasi Maka, Levi Aumua tries; William Havili 3 con) Auckland 29 (Sam Hainsworth-Fa'aofo 2, Caleb Tangitau, Caleb Clarke tries; Rico Simpson con; Xavi Taele 2 con, pen). HT:14-12