The Otago Spirit was a distant second on Saturday but is focusing on its last game this weekend to bag a win.
Otago coach Duncan McEwan said the Spirit tried hard and put on a spirited showing in defence against perennial heavyweight Auckland at Colin Maiden Park.
But there was wave after wave of attack from the home team and it became all too much for the Spirit, going down 62-0 after trailing 32-0 at the break.
Auckland is top of the table, having won all its games.
Such was its depth it was able to run on quality players throughout the game.
Black Ferns front rower Fiao’o Fa’amausili scored the first two tries of the game, both driving efforts from the ruck, and she was hard to contain.
McEwan said the Spirit played a good first 20 minutes and hung in during the final 20 minutes but the middle period of the match was when Auckland was simply too powerful.
It made many metres through its big forwards.
The Spirit front row worked hard and put in plenty of tackles, while flanker Georgia Mason was all over the park and made countless tackles.
Captain Angie Sisifa also got through plenty of work and never stopped tackling.
The Spirit did have some chances on attack but lacked that polish of execution and the home team was well organised on defence, McEwan said.
The competition traditionally runs until the end of October but has been pushed forward and the last round of the competition is next week.
Otago has North Harbour and it is targeting its first win of the season.
McEwan said the spirit within the side was still high and the team wanted to finish the season well.
It had played the top four sides in the past four weeks which was tough.
The game against North Harbour would be played under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin and McEwan hoped a decent crowd would get along to the game.
North Harbour is new to the women’s competition this year and is just above Otago on the table.
Farah Palmer Cup
The scores
Auckland 62
Fiao’o Fa’amausili 2, Eloise Blackwell 2, Theresa Fitzpatrick 2, Charlotte Scanlan 2, Charmaine McMeanamin, Mele Hufanga tries; Emma Jensen 6 con
Otago 0
Halftime: 32-0