The Tasman Mako have remain the National Provincial Championship's (NPC) lone unbeaten team. But again took it down to the wire.
Fullback William Havili booted a match-winning penalty well into added-time as Tasman won their seven straight match, defeating Waikato 27-25 at Hamilton's FMG Stadium Waikato on Sunday.
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Having missed a drop-goal from just outside his 22 minutes earlier, Havili stepped up to slot the winning penalty in the 83rd minute. He did not hit it cleanly but did enough to get it over the bar from 38m out.
It was reminiscent of how the Mako secured the Ranfurly Shield against Hawke's Bay two weeks earlier, when reserve kicker Campbell Parata booted the winning penalty after 80 minutes.
Tasman remained second in the standings on 32 points, four behind the Wellington Lions, who have played one more match. Both teams have secured a quarterfinal berth, with two rounds remaining.
It appeared former All Blacks first-five Aaron Cruden's 76th-minute penalty would deny Tasman's comeback, from 22-10 down with 20 minutes to play.
Following tries from Quinn Tupaea and D'Angelo Leuila, the hosts led 12-10 at halftime, before a Leuila penalty and lock Laghlan McWhannell converted try put Waikato up 12 points after 56 minutes.
Hooker Sam Moli scored from a 5m lineout drive and flanker Tim Sail went over from a Timoci Tavatavanawai offload, with Havili converting both, to put Tasman up 24-22 in the 74th minute.
Next up, Tasman head to Dunedin to face Otago on Saturday (kick-off 4.35pm), while Waikato travel to Invercargill to battle the Southland Stags on Sunday (kick-off 2.05pm).
Auckland continued their charge to the top-eight with a third straight victory, 27-19 over a brave Southland side at Eden Park on Sunday.
Following wins over North Harbour and Northland, the Gulls have shaken off a four-match losing streak to open the season to move to 17 points, just one outside a quarterfinal berth with three games to play.
Auckland ran away with the match in the 10 minutes before halftime, with three tries and 19 unanswered points to take a 24-7 lead into the break.
Locks Tuaina Tualima and Josh Beehre got it started, before second-five AJ Lam finished off an attack that started with wing Caleb Tangitau breaking out from his own 22 and going 50m upfield.
Although Southland won the second half 12-3, courtesy of tries from wing Michael Manson and Englishman Charlie Powell to get within five in the 66th minute, they did not create enough chances to cause the boilover.
In Round 8, Auckland head to Napier for a tough clash against a suddenly-reeling Hawke's Bay on Saturday (kick-off 2.05pm), while the Stags are back at Rugby Park to welcome the Mooloos on Sunday.
Otago also kept themselves in the top-eight discussion with their third victory, a 28-10 win over Manawatu in Palmerston North on Saturday.
First-five Cameron Millar booted three penalties and two conversions for 13 points as the visitors controlled much of the match at Central Energy Trust Stadium.
A try to hooker Liam Coltman from an unstoppable 5m lineout drive and two Millar penalties took them into the half up 13-3, another Millar three-pointer and a facsimile try from reserve hooker Henry Bell in the 64th minute had Otago 20 points ahead.
Manawatu got one back through replacement halfback Luke Campbell, in support of a chip-chase-and-recover from fullback Drew Wild, but Otago centre Hudson Creighton had the final say from a spilled cross-field kick.
Otago welcome Tasman to Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday, while the Turbos head to New Plymouth on Sunday (kick-off 4.35pm) to battle neighbours Taranaki.
Tasman 27 (Ryan Coxon, Sam Moli, Tim Sail tries; William Havili 3 con, 2 pen) Waikato 25 (Quinn Tupaea, D'Angelo Leuila, Laghlan McWhannell tries; D'Angelo Leuila con, pen, Aaron Cruden con, pen). HT: 10-12
Auckland 27 (Rico Simpson, Tuaina Tualima, Josh Beehre, AJ Lam tries; Zarn Sullivan 2 con, pen) Southland 19 (Leroy Ferguson, Michael Manson, Charlie Powell tries; Jason Robertson 2 con). HT: 24-7
Otago 28 (Liam Coltman, Henry Bell, Hudson Creighton tries; Cameron Millar 2 con, 3 pen) Manawatu 10 (Luke Campbell try; Reece MacDonald con, pen). HT: 13-3
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