Ranfurly Shield holders Taranaki had a week off defending the trophy when beating North Harbour 46-24 in Albany while defending NPC champions Wellington dealt Waikato a 35-24 loss in Hamilton.
Canterbury got home by four points 19-15 over Auckland in Christchurch while Bay of Plenty beat Counties Manukau 39-22 in Pukekohe to score a second bonus point win and be on top of the table with 10 points.
Northland 22 Southland 17
Northland set the early pace only to have a prospective try ruled out. Then Southland, on a foray into Northland's red zone, muffed a lineout move five metres from the line. However, at the resulting scrum, home first five-eighths Rivez Reihana had his clearance charged down for wing Scott Gregory to drop on the ball for the only try of the first half. Second five-eighths Reesjan Pasitoa had a try prevented by Southland when he was unable to ground the ball, while Southland missed out on a chance when flying wing Michael Manson was unable to toe a ball he had chased into the red zone.
Up 7-0 at the turn, Southland conceded a 43rd-minute try to a Northland lineout maul when hooker James Mullan twisted over the line to score. Manson missed a second chance to score on a toe ahead, but after 56 minutes, flanker Sean Withy did get over from a ruck five metres from the line. But five minutes later, after a powerful mauling surge, it was Mullan who twisted his way over again. He wasn't finished. With 12 minutes left, another lineout maul resulted in Mullan crossing for his third to secure the match-winning lead. Southland's solitary reward was a bonus point 43 metre penalty goal to utility back Mika Muliaina.
Northland 22 (James Mullan 3 tries; Rivez Reihand 2 con, pen) Southland 17 (Scott Gregory, Sean Withy tries; Dan Hollinshead con, Mika Muliaina con, pen). HT: 0-7
North Harbour 24 Taranaki 46
Hooker Bradley Slater set the scene for the visiting Taranaki team at North Harbour Stadium by scoring the first two tries, both from lineout mauls. But with their confidence lifted, Taranaki unleashed their backs with some precise handling to give wing Taniela Rakuro a run in for their third try. North Harbour came back from a lineout play that saw the ball moved to midfield, where wing Mark Tele'a tidied at the ruck to slip a pass to flanker Karl Ruzich, who scored. However, the try was negated from the restart when a muddled play saw a dropped ball picked up by Taranaki's second five-eighths Ben Dufficy, who slipped a grubber kick to the line that sat up for prop Jared Proffit to score. Tele'a's entry from his wing provided an in-pass to wing Kade Banks, who scored in the corner. And just before the break, centre Tom Hendrickson got the home team to within a point.
North Harbour lost first five-eighths Oscar Koller in the first moments of the second half, and that saw the Taranaki backline use lineout ball to have centre Daniel Rona break the defence and score. North Harbour's Sofai Notoa-Tipo stood the Taranaki defence up and he crossed for the last of his side's tries, but with 30 minutes left, Taranaki's pack produced the chances taken by Slater for his third, flanker Arese Poliko and wing Vereniki Tikoisolomone.
North Harbour 24 (Karl Ruzich, Kade Banks, Tom Hendrickson, Sofai Notoa-Tipo tries; Oscar Koller 2 con) Taranaki 46 (Bradley Slater 3, Taniela Rakuro, Jared Proffit, Daniel Rona, Arese Poliko, Vereniki Tikoisolomone tries; Josh Jacomb 3 con). HT: 19-20
Waikato 24 Wellington 35
Two early tries, one to a post-lineout driving effort by prop PJ Scheck, and the second the culmination of inter-handling between backs and forwards, saw first five-eighths Jackson Garden-Bachop score. Waikato stiffened its defence, but in the 34th minute, there was no stopping second five-eighths Julian Savea in full flight at the line. Before the break, Waikato scored their first try after a stunning break by Olli Mathis off the wing. That was followed by more action as fellow wing Tepaea Cook-Savage ran the ball to the line, and from the ruck it was first five-eighths Aaron Cruden who got the try.
Then, four minutes into the second half, home halfback Xavier Roe sniped around a scrum to score in his 50th game for the side. And when Xavier Saifoloi scored at a ruck soon after, the margin was reduced to four points. But a dropped Waikato ball was slipped to wing Tjay Clarke, and he had the speed to race 50m untouched to score. That was quickly followed by lock Akira Ieremia being rewarded for his constant support play with a try. Waikato's only response was through replacement hooker Pita Anae-Ah Sue, who was on the end of another penetrating run by Roe to score.
Waikato 24 (Aaron Cruden, Xavier Roe, Xavier Saifoloi, Pita Anae-Ah Sue tries; Tepaea Cook-Savage 2 con) Wellington 35 (PJ Sheck, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Julian Savea, Tjay Clarke, Akira Ieremia tries; Garden-Bachop 5 con). HT: 5-21
Tasman 49 Manawatū 17
Tasman and Manawatū showed in Nelson that a week is a long time in the Bunnings Cup, by employing their lineout to deadly effect. First round losers Tasman took only eight minutes to set the challenge for the visitors when hooker Eli Oudenryn went over for a try off the back of a lineout maul. A long lineout throw into the second quarter provided the impetus for lock Lopeti Faifua to cross for a try. A variation to the lineout saw flanker Ethan Blackadder and second five-eighths David Havili set up easy ball for wing Leicester Fainga'anuku to pick up and cross untouched. Soon after, a miscommunication among the officials denied Manawatū a chance and in the resulting play, Fainga'anuku caught an uncontrolled catch attempt to run rings around the Manawatū defence to score his second try and give Tasman a 28-0 lead at the turn.
Manawatū made a strong start to the second half, moving the ball effectively and opening up space for replacement prop James Tofa to score their first try. They scored again midway through the half when Taine Roiri crossed from a tap penalty. But a mistake from the restart, returned ball to Tasman who scored through replacement back Tone Ng Shiu. No8 Braydon Iose made an outside break from the restart and put centre Kyle Brown through for a try. But it was Tasman that finished strongest with No8 Fletcher Anderson and fullback William Havili both benefiting from outmanoeuvred Manawatū defence.
Tasman 49 (Eli Oudenryn, Lopeti Faifua, Leicester Fainga'anuku 2, Tone Ng Shiu, Fletcher Anderson Willie Havili tries; Havili 7 con) Manawatū 17 (James Tofa, Taine Roiri, Kyle Brown tries; Brett Cameron con). HT: 28-0
Canterbury 19 Auckland 15
Typical exchanges in Canterbury-Auckland rivalry marked the start of their latest contest in Christchurch, but it was Canterbury who scored first from a lineout drive, with hooker Nick Hyde scoring. But it was Auckland who unleashed their attacking assets out wide, and when an attempted intercept by Canterbury was dropped, fullback Payton Spencer put wing Codemeru Vai into space along the sideline, and he ran in Auckland's response. Ten minutes later, in the 36th minute, Auckland got the ball wide and opposite wing Xavier Tito-Harris had too much speed for the defence. A minute from the break, more handling skills defied the wet conditions, and Vai was able to score his second try.
Canterbury's traditional patience was revealed again, and 10 minutes into the second half, lock Zac Gallagher ploughed over from a goal-line ruck. After a 55metre penalty goal attempt by Chay Fihaki missed, the clearance went in field and Canterbury pounced with fullback Johnny McNicholl putting a kick through where centre Jone Rova dived on the ball then got up to claim the lead for the home team. The desperate Canterbury defence was enough to keep Auckland out for the remainder.
Canterbury 19 (Nick Hyde, Zac Gallagher, Jone Rova tries; James White con) Auckland 15 (Codemeru Vai 2, Xavier Tito-Harris tries). HT: 7-15
Counties Manukau 22 Bay of Plenty 39
Ruthless Bay of Plenty efficiency in Counties Manukau's 22m area rocked the home team at Pukekohe. Failing to hold Bay of Plenty flanker Veveni Lasaqa in the tackle. Unheld, he played the ball and then set sail for the opening try eight minutes into the contest. Perfect set-up ball from his forwards saw first five-eighths Lucas Cashmore's speed carry him through a gap to the line in the 15th minute. It took a well-controlled lineout maul for hooker Zuriel Togiatama to open the home team's scoring after 22 minutes. But after the halftime hooter sounded, lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi went over from a series of rucks for a 21-7 lead.
However, the combined loss to the sin bin of hooker Kurt Eklund at a goal-line ruck, and fullback Kaleb Trask for a deliberate knockdown in the resulting penalty movement, hit the Bay hard. Another penalty gave Counties Manukau a chance that flanker Adam Brash accepted. Then just after the pair returned, the home team launched a lineout maul that saw hooker Ioane Moananu pull them within four points. Two Trask penalty goals pulled the Bay clear, and Eklund's try extended the advantage before Moananu crashed over in the corner. But in attempting to close the 10-point margin, the home team attempted to clear their territory. The Bay counter-attacked, and halfback Charlie Sinton was able to cross to complete the win.
Counties Manukau 22 (Zuriel Togiatama, Adam Brash, Ioane Moananu 2 tries; Riley Hohepa con) Bay of Plenty 39 (Veveni Lasaqa, Lucas Cashmore, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Kurt Eklund, Charlie Sinton tries; Kaleb Trask 4 con, 2 pen), HT:7-21
Otago 21 Hawke's Bay 27
Appreciating the conditions under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, Hawke's Bay raced to a 17-0 lead courtesy of tries to halfback Ere Enari and No8 Devan Flanders while first five-eighths Harry Godfrey converted both and added a penalty goal. Enari was in perfect support after lock Geoff Crige's break to score by the posts, and Flanders was able to power over low from a goalmouth ruck. But Otago struck back with two tries in three minutes. First Fijian Drua forward Joseva Tamani, playing his second game at lock, scored off a superb lineout move, which allowed him to put his running skill to work, and then wing Jona Nareki crossed for the second after fullback Sam Gilbert broke the line and fed him to the line. Both were converted by first five-eighths Cameron Millar.
Play was tight during the second half, and it was in the 59th minute before Hawke's Bay attacked off a tap penalty in their half. Prop Pouri Rakete-Stones ran through a gap. From the ruck, hooker Jacob Devery extended the lead for the visitors. Otago finally got within bonus point range in the last two minutes when replacement forward Lucas Casey scored.
Otago 21 (Joseva Tamani, Jona Nareki, Lucas Casey tries; Cameron Millar 3 con) Hawke's Bay 27 (Ere Enari, Devan Flanders, Jacob Devery tries; Hamish Godfrey 3 con, 2 pen). HT: 14-20