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Auckland remains on track to a home semi-final in the Miter 10 Cup Premiership after a valiant victory over Northland at Eden Park.
Forced to play most of the match with 14 men due to an injury crisis early on, Auckland looked in real danger of losing to Taniwha for the first time in 12 years when they trailed 8-0 at halftime.
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Salesi Rayasi scored a second-half double for Auckland, including the match-winning try.
However, a second-half double for fit winger Salesi Rayasi, including the match winner in the 76th minute, and a late defensive position saw them escape with a thrilling 24-20 win.
The result pushed Auckland five points behind Tasman at the top of the table, and Mako hosted Canterbury later on Saturday night.
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But while coach Alama Ieremia would have been enormously relieved just to get the win, the fact that his team didn’t rack up a bonus point could be crucial in the race for first place, with only one round left before the semi-finals. .
Auckland will travel to Canterbury next Sunday and although the Reds and Blacks have had a season to forget, they will be in desperate mode as they fight to avoid relegation. Tasman, meanwhile, is out of Otago in his last regular season game.
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Northland winger Jone Maciali scored a try and was a handful throughout the day for the Auckland defense.
Auckland’s injury problems began in the seventh minute on Saturday when they lost Soane Vikena under strange circumstances. The hooker held on to his shoulder after a whimsical lineout shot and immediately pointed to the sideline, while No. 8 Sione Tuipulotu followed shortly after.
Northland then got a big break when Auckland’s replacement prostitute Leni Apisai limped off in the 25th minute, putting uncontested scrums into play. And because Auckland was the team that caused the problem, they were forced to play the rest of the game with one man less.
Having held a 3-0 lead for most of the first half, Northland finally built on the numerical advantage just before halftime when Rene Ranger put winger Jone Macilai into the left corner.
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Substitute forward Jarred Adams celebrates his second half try for Auckland.
Northland was his worst enemy at times, as his precision with the ball in hand left a lot to be desired.
Ten minutes into the second half, an 8-0 lead quickly morphed into a two-point deficit after a massive Zarn Sullivan penalty goal into the wind followed by an interception attempt at Rayasi.
It was the perfect defensive reading from the winger, but his gamble didn’t pay off a second time as Northland made the most of the overlap and running back Sam Nock was in place to cap off a brilliant team attempt.
Auckland found an unlikely hero in the form of Jarred Adams to strike back. The backup hooker showed a nice change of pace to escape and stayed in support to finish what he started.
The backward clash continued as Northland captain Jordan Olsen stormed in to give his team a three-point lead with seven minutes to go.
However, the mistakes of the visitors came back to bite them. With a ball off his front foot, Auckland worked into attacking territory before Harry Plummer put in that man Rayasi to break Northland’s hearts.
Despite the loss, Northland remains in the top four in the championship, but will have to beat Waikato next week to make sure they are in the semifinals.
Auckland 24 (Salesi Rayasi 2, Jarred Adams tries; Harry Plummer 3 cons; Zarn Sullivan pen) Northland 20 (Jone Macilai, Sam Nock, Jordan Olsen tries; Wiseguy Faiane scam; Johnny Cooper pen). HT: 0-8.
MVP Points: Salesi Rayasi 3, Rene Ranger 2, Harry Plummer 1
