The win has solidified its spot in the top four. University remains at the top but will be smarting following its second loss this season.
Taieri held on to beat Alhambra-Union 28-21. Some slick work in the backline proved the difference.
Harbour emerged from its malaise with a 47-27 win against Dunedin and Green Island made it three in a row with a 28-6 win against Zingari-Richmond.
Southern 29
University 25
University won the prize for playing the more attractive rugby.They also won the Highlanders’ lottery when Fletcher Smith and Matt Faddes missed out on the game day squad and found themselves playing club rugby.
Southern had more muscle, though, and midway through the first spell it started flexing it.
But the telling moment came with about seven or eight minutes remaining at Bathgate Park. University was ahead 25-22 but lost two players to the bin.Southern exploited the numbers advantage and mercurial fullback Mackenzie Haugh dotted down to score in the corner.
The home team then did its best to shut the game down with a series of pick and goes. Southern played eight-man rugby for long periods but had to, really. First five-eighth Bryce Hosie was a late scratching and, with Louis Tili out injured and Josh Ioane with the Highlanders, Wilson Driver was forced to fill in. Smith showed his class early for University with a nice skip pass to Faddes, who took the ball to the line before swinging the ball to winger Calvin Vari.
It all looked too easy but Southern remembered the script about 20 minutes into the match.
It started punching the ball up field. Prop Mike Mata’afa and No8 Mika Mafi both scored to give Southern a 19-13 lead at the break.
University lock Josh Hill scooped up a fumbled kick and ran 60m to score shortly after the match resumed. He showed tremendous pace and had a strong game.
A wicked bounce defeated Haugh and Faddes collected the ball to score and put his side ahead 25-19.But Southern got back into the game through its forwards and University’s ill-discipline proved costly at the end.
Taieri 28
Alhambra-Union 21
Alhambra-Union’s pack is arguably the most improved in the competition.
The team outmuscled Taieri in the close exchanges at the North Ground. But the Eels’ had the better finishing touches and posted four first half tries.But despite building a 28-7 buffer by halftime, the visitors were forced to hold on.
Three Alhambra props got over the line and hooker Alex Frood was one of the best players on the park. He looks fitter this year and has strung some impressive performances together.
Taieri scored early through Josh Casey and Matt Whaanga. Loosehead Witana Pratley got the first of the home team’s tries to close the gap to 14-7.
Winger Glen Beadle gave Taieri more breathing space with a try in the corner. But he was binned for a deliberate knock-on not long after.
Alhambra went looking for points but Taieri came up with a fortunate try while a player down.
The Eels appeared to knock an Alhambra pass forward but play continued. Winger Marc Rooney toed it ahead and scored between the posts.
It proved a critical moment. Alhambra scored shortly after the resumption through Tristan Fuli, and prop number three, Tia Ratu, scored right on fulltime.
Openside flanker Jacob Coughlan had another top game for Alhambra and halfback Kurt Hammer and first five-eighth Brodie Flannery stood out for Taieri.
Green Island 28
Zingari-Richmond 6
Green Island took full advantage of a 14-man Zingari-Richmond in the middle stages of the second half to break the deadlock and run away with a comfortable victory at Miller Park.
After the two sides exchanged penalty goals in the opening minutes, the first half turned into a stagnant affair with Green Island camped out in Zingari-Richmond territory but unable to turn anything into points. Only at the conclusion of the first of two 46min halves was the try line breached, but only at the expense of a Zingari-Richmond mistake. A player apparently heard a "next time out" call and belted the ball to touch, but the referee called for the lineout and Finn Strawbridge scored in the resulting play, to hand Green Island an 11-3 lead at the break.
The second half was turning into being just as uneventful as the first until Zingari-Richmond centre Keenan Masina was yellow-carded. First five-eighth Strawbridge took full advantage with a 45m run up field, and fullback Sunia Makasini scoring from resulting play. Soon after the restart, Timoci Tawaketini barged over to hand the home side a 23-6 advantage.
The only highlight of the final 15min was Green Island hooker Jake-Lane Fowler’s Sean Fitzpatrick imitation, with a 25m run down the touch line for the try and a bonus-point victory for the Grizzlies.
Harbour 47
Dunedin 27
The Harbour forward pack took control from the outset and ruthlessly won the game for them.
They controlled possession from ruck and lineout and their punishing ball runners in the form of hooker Sekonaia Pole and blindside Joketani Koroi delivered in spades. Dunedin took 60 minutes to win a lineout and this summed up their day.
Harbour had run in five tries by halftime and this game was over as a contest.
Dunedin added some respectability by running in four tries of its own in the second spell, as the game loosened up. Fullback Josh McKay led the way, but they still finished shy by 20 points.
Harbour was desperate, as it had to win to have any show of making the top four and that showed in its first-half performance. Koroi and Pole were their best by some margin but their inside backs Logan Allen and Marckis Schafer controlled play well for them.
It was tough to find stand-outs for the Sharks but prop Teague McIlroy got through a power of work and lock Mark Grieve Dunn never gave up. With scant possession, the Dunedin backline looked good at times and McKay sparked a lot of their play from the back with his extreme pace.