Canterbury leads on 35 points, four ahead of Otago. Taranaki, having beaten Hawke's Bay, are four points back on 27, while Bay of Plenty, having gained a bonus point win over Manawatū, are on 26 points, one point ahead of Hawke's Bay and Waikato.
North Harbour suffered its eighth loss courtesy of a last-minute penalty goal scored by Northland in their game in Albany on Sunday. However, it will have a chance to continue the Ranfurly Shield's 2025 merry-go-round with a challenge in Dunedin on Saturday.
Taranaki 38 Hawke's Bay 24
An eight-phase build-up in the 16th minute created a chance for wing Neria Fomai to score the opening try for Hawke's Bay against Taranaki in New Plymouth. Home lock Josh Lord provided impetus for a Taranaki incursion deep into Hawke's Bay territory when plucking the ball from the middle of a ruck and breaking 30m for a move only to break down short of the line due to a knock-on. Twice Lord won lineouts out from the line, the first resulting in a yellow card for lock Tom Parsons, and the second producing a maul for hooker Bradley Slater to score.
Taranaki scrum power took its toll in the second half, producing a penalty that resulted in a lineout drive and maul for flanker Kaylum Boshier to score in the 49th minute. Clever blindside work with halfback Folau Fakatava working the plays after a decisive break by No8 Devan Flanders, prededed an accurate miss-out pass by Fakatava for Fomai to score his second. But Taranaki struck back when, from a ruck, Slater slipped a back pass to first five-eighths Josh Jacomb, who slipped into a big gap to run 30m and score. That was followed by an open field sortie that saw fullback Brayton Northcott-Hill and halfback Logan Crowley combine to put wing Vereniki Tikoisolomone over in the corner. Breaking off a Lord lineout win 70m out, seven minutes from time, Jacomb got a signal kick ahead and replacement Ben Dufficy had the speed to race in for another Taranaki try. Replacements Sam Smith and Andrew Tauatevalu scored late tries for the Bay.
Taranaki 38 (Bradley Slater, Kaylum Boshier, Josh Jaycomb, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Ben Dufficy tries; Jacomb 5 con, pen) Hawke's Bay 24 (Neria Fomai 2, Sam Smith, Andrew Tauatevalu tries; Lincoln McClutchie 2 con). HT: 7-5
Counties Manukau 49 Auckland 28
Auckland applied their early attention to Counties Manukau No8, who was able to offload a pass to first five-eighths AJ Alatimu, who then put second five-eighths Gibson Popoali'i in for the first try after 10 minutes in Pukekohe. Four minutes later, an Auckland lineout throw was picked off, and Counties moved the ball for fullback Etene Nanai-Seturo to run onto a kick ahead to extend the score. The tries kept coming, courtesy of poor Auckland defence, and prop Keran van Staden scored after 18 minutes. Finally, after 25 minutes, the leak was plugged with flanker Che Clark powering his way over for Auckland's first try. However, it was temporary relief as halfback Cohen Brady-Leathem followed up a kick ahead to get the bounce and score and wing Josh Gray, finished off the half with another try for the home team. After the halftime hooter, Auckland's lineout maul created a chance for the backs, and fullback Cohen Norrie was out wide to run in a try.
Six minutes into the second half, hooker Mills Sanerivi scored from a goal-line ruck for Auckland. Substitute halfback Cam Roigard made his mark immediately at 50 minutes when scoring easily from a ruck on the line. But Counties Manukau struck back with Roigard prominent again before a kick to the wing from Alatimu slipped a kick to the corner, where Nanai-Seturo put a pass inside to Popoali'i, who scored. Caleb Clarke picked up Auckland's last try with the final quarter ending scoreless for both sides.
Counties Manukau 49 (Gibson Popoali'i 2, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Keran van Staden, Cohen Brady-Leathem, Josh Gray, Cameron Roigard tries; AJ Alatimu 7 con) Auckland 28 (Che Clark, Cohen Norrie, Mills Sanerivi, Caleb Clarke tries; Rico Simpson 4 con). HT: 35-14
Wellington 75 Southland 19
Two minutes into their game with Wellington in Porirua, Southland's recent Ranfurly Shield success seemed a long way distant as they faced a resurgent home team. Hooker James O'Reilly was on the sideline to score the first team try of the game. Southland first five-eighths Mika Muliaina opened Wellington's defence 10 minutes later, and wing Michael Manson scored out wide. But three minutes later, wing Callum Harkin got Wellington back on track. An overthrown Southland lineout resulted in a try for Caleb Delany and was followed soon after by Wellington running a Southland kick back for centre Losi Filipo to score in the 25th minute. Running with excellent continuity, Wellington saw lock Dominic Ropeti score. Harkin ran through the midfield from his win to give the home team a 42-5 halftime lead.
A turnover on their line saw Manson get the ball, beat a man and kick 75m downfield, with the win, to gain a 50-22, which saw Southland use their lineout maul for prop Jack Sexton to score. But Wellington's onslaught was maintained by wing Stanley Solomon twice, Ropeti, who scored his second, Siale Lauaki, and Harkin, who completed his hat-trick while replacement Paul Latu crashed over for a third Southland try.
Wellington 75 (James O'Reilly, Callum Harkin 3, Caleb Delany, Losilosivale Filipo, Dominic Ropeti 2, Siale Lauaki, Stanley Solomon 2 tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 7 con; Ruben Love 3 con) Southland 19 (Michael Manson, Jack Sexton, Paula Latu tries; Mika Muliaina con; Byron Smith con). HT: 42-5
Canterbury 36 Otago 38
Seventy-seven years without a Ranfurly Shield win over Canterbury was Otago's challenge in Christchurch. And Canterbury hit Otago early with long miss-out passes from halfback Louie Chapman stretching the defence for No8 Torian Barnes to open the scoring after three minutes. Ten minutes later, hooker George Bell was strong off the back of a lineout maul and went over to score. Four minutes later, Otago was rewarded for a 17-phase sequence when fullback Samuel Nemec-Vial stepped back inside the defence to score. In the 22nd minute, flanker Tom Christie carried play towards the line, got back onto his feet to take the ball from the base and score for the home team. Joseva Tamani was at the end of Otago halfback Dylan Pledger's long pass to score. But 10 minutes before the break, quick hands through the backs put wing Kurtis MacDonald across in the corner for a 24-14 lead at the break.
Two minutes into the second half, Otago's big men did the work before flanker Lucas Casey was given a sniff of a chance and putting his fend to work, he got over for his first try. Canterbury responded with more long passing, and it was fullback Chay Fihaki who had the space and time to score. Then, in the 53rd minute, excellent handling put Andrew Knewstubb in unopposed for a 25m run to the line. But four minutes later, Otago came back with wing Jae Broomfield taking a back-hand pass to score. However, in the 60th minute, Otago lost lock Will Tucker to the sin-bin when 10 points down. However, Casey wasn't phased. Standing off a ruck 45m out, he stepped the Canterbury defence, swerved in and out, and raced in for a stunning try. Five minutes later, the Otago lineout maul carried replacement hooker Liam Coltman over to level the scores with first five-eighths Cameron Millar landing the conversion to claim the lead and the Ranfurly Shield.
Canterbury 36 (Torian Barnes, George Bell, Tom Christie, Kurtis MacDonald, Chay Fihaki, Andrew Knewstubb tries; James White 2 con; Fihaki con) Otago 38 (Samuel Nemec-Vial, Joseva Tamani, Lucas Casey 2, Jae Broomfield, Liam Coltman tries; Cameron Millar 4 con). HT: 24-14
Tasman 24 Waikato 29
Waikato's lineout provided the first points of their game with Tasman in Blenheim after five minutes when prop George Dyer was in the thick of a driving maul that crossed the line for him to get the ball down. Four minutes later, Tasman made the most of a clearance chargedown by Liam Coombes-Fabling and, in the aftermath, hooker Tomasi Maka drove over the line for a try. In the 16th minute, Waikato capitalised on a break out wide by flanker Ollie Mathis. In the resulting play, wing Dan Sinkinson had sufficient room to get the ball down to score. And then in the 28th minute, a short pass from second five-eighths Gideon Wrampling put No8 Senita Lauaki into a gap and he raced through under the posts. Just before half-time, the lineout maul saw Maka score again.
Fourteen minutes into the second half, Waikato extended their lead when the ball was released from a lineout maul, and it was Sinkinson who dived over in the corner for his second try. Ten minutes from the end, NZ U-20s centre Cooper Roberts was put through a gap where his speed carried him through to score. Two seconds after the final hooter, a big Tasman scrum resulted in a penalty, and from the lineout option chosen, replacement hooker Eli Oudenryn scored, and with Willie Havili's conversion attempt rebounding off an upright, extra time was required. Havili had a penalty attempt miss before replacement Waikato forward Malachi Wrampling charged into space before handing on Coombes-Fabling, who in turn had wing Josh Moorby outside to score after a 70m breakout.
Tasman 24 (Tomasi Maka 2, Cooper Roberts, Eli Oudenryn tries; Cooper Grant 2 con) Waikato 29 (George Dyer, Dan Sinkinson 2, Senita Lauaki, Josh Moorby tries; Lima Sopoaga 2 con). HT: 14-19
North Harbour 21 Northland 22
It was typical of North Harbour's season that a second-minute try to left-wing Kade Banks should be ruled out when he was in front of the kicker, but keeping their heads, they saw centre Tom Barham expose wide spaces and he was able to put right-wing Tima Finaga'anuku in at the corner. Another four minutes later, Barham was running the sideline to take a long pass from first five-eighths Cam Howell to score in the opposite corner. Northland came back in the 19th minute when it too utilised the long pass to effect from fullback Jordan Trainor to Brady Rush, who scored on the right wing. A Northland lineout maul pushed its way over for hooker Jordan Hutchings to score. Kade Banks was sin-binned for a tackle offence after Northland first five-eighths Rivez Reihana made a superb break, and from the resulting play, Northland ran back a clearing kick with the Rush brothers involved before Rob Rush scored a minute before the break.
Eight minutes into the second half, No8 Jed Melvin's try and Howell's conversion gave North Harbour a 21-19 lead. North Harbour held out Northland while another yellow card, to lock Jack Lee, was played through, and it wasn't until the second last minute that Reihana converted a penalty chance from 35m to steal the win from the home team.
North Harbour 21 (Tima Fainga'anuku, Tom Barham, Jed Melvin tries; Cam Howell 3 con) Northland 22 (Brady Rush, Jordan Hutchings, Rob Rush tries; Rivez Reihana 2 con, pen). HT: 14-19
Manawatū 19 Bay of Plenty 55
Bay of Plenty hit Palmerston North running, scored after three minutes through prop Tevita Mafileo, the first of two tries, against Manawatū, and they never let up. The Bay of Plenty's speed, continuity, and organisation during the first three-quarters of the contest were the foundation on which they built their effort, and Manawatū had no answer. That was reflected in wing Kele Lasaqa's first try, in the sixth minute while unrelenting momentum saw Mafileo cross in the 18th minute. However, the home team was not to be outdone, and in the 25th minute, wing Taniela Filimone paid off some good work from those inside to score in the corner, his seventh try of the season. But an immediate response on the blindside saw Lasaqa cut in against the grain to beat three defenders and score. Inattention at the tackle by Manawatū in front of their posts saw Fehi Fineanganofo play the ball and push ahead for a try.
Fineanganofo pulled off an intercept two minutes into the second half and ran 50m to score with centre Lalomilo Lalomilo, flanker Jacob Norris and fullback Cole Forbes, who all crossed before the 67th minute to complete their scoring. Manawatū finished with a flourish as Filimone scored his second, and centre Kyle Brown's last-minute try completed the scoring.
Manawatū 19 (Taniela Filimone 2, Kyle Brown tries; Brett Cameron con; Sam Coles con) Bay of Plenty 55 (Tevita Mafileo 2, Kele Lasaqa 2, Fehi Fineanganofo 2, Lalomilo Lalomilo, Jacob Norris, Cole Forbes tries; Lucas Cashmore 5 con). HT: 7-31