Southland and Northland, the two most far-flung provinces of the Bunnings NPC, pulled off the biggest upsets in Round 5 as the competition delivered another weekend of drama across New Zealand. Southland stormed into the spotlight by ending a 12-year wait for the Ranfurly Shield, to upset Waikato 25-10 in Hamilton for the Stags’ third straight win.

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This marks the first time Southland have achieved three wins on the bounce since 2013, and it is also the Stags’ eighth Shield triumph in their history. Northland also delighted their fans, taking down Hawke’s Bay 27-22 in Whangārei to halt the Magpies’ momentum. Elsewhere, Canterbury kept their perfect record intact with a dominant 53-14 win over Manawatū in Rangiora to remain the only unbeaten side, sitting at the top of the NPC table with 23 points.

Taranaki bounced back strong from their Shield disappointment last weekend, with a commanding 43-22 victory over Counties Manukau. Tasman edged Otago 31-27 in a Nelson thriller, while Wellington’s power game overwhelmed Auckland 36-17 in Porirua. Bay of Plenty, meanwhile, were clinical in a 19-7 win over North Harbour in Albany. The competition now heads into Round 6 with Canterbury set to put their unbeaten record on the line against the newly minted Ranfurly Shield holders Southland,

North Harbour 7 – 19 Bay of Plenty

Friday, 29 August – North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

Early pressure from Bay of Plenty saw North Harbour warned for repeated infringements after just five minutes, and moments later captain Tom Savage was sin-binned. From the resulting lineout, hooker Kurt Eklund peeled off a maul to score in the corner. Soon after, wing Emoni Narawa broke from halfway and looked certain to score before being dragged down over the line, but first five Kaleb Trask added two penalty goals to give the visitors an 11-0 halftime lead.

Harbour responded immediately after the break. Second five Tom Hendrickson’s clever kick ahead found hooker Bryn Gordon, who offloaded to halfback Luke Campbell for the try. Cam Howell converted to close the gap to four, but Bay of Plenty kept control. Trask’s third penalty restored a seven-point margin before replacement Tamiro Armstrong’s kick forced a loose ball near Harbour’s line. Flanker Veveni Lasaqa pounced to score, sealing the result.

NORTH HARBOUR: 7

TRIES: 1 (Luke Campbell)

CONVERSIONS: 1 Cam Howell)

BAY OF PLENTY: 19

TRIES: 2 (Kurt Eklund, Veveni Lasaqa)

CONVERSIONS: 0

PENALTIES: 3 (Kaleb Trask 3)

Canterbury 53 – 14 Manawatū

Saturday, 30 August – Rangiora Showground Oval, Rangiora

It took just 50 seconds for Canterbury to ignite the Rangiora crowd, with flanker Corey Kellow finishing a sweeping move in the corner. Lock Jamie Hannah added another six minutes later, before captain Cullen Grace limped off with a knee injury. Manawatū fought back, wing Junta Hamano scoring from a scrum play, but Canterbury struck straight after halftime when Manasa Mataele fielded a cross-kick and raced in. Kellow soon had his second, while Sam Darry and Brodie McAlister crossed as the floodgates opened.

Hannah powered over for his second, before replacement halfback Tyson Elworthy capitalised on loose ball to score. Manawatū showed resistance with centre Kyle Brown’s late try, but Canterbury fittingly had the final word, Ngantungane Punivai crossing after the hooter to round out a nine-try rout.

CANTERBURY: 53

TRIES: 9 (Corey Kellow 2, Jamie Hannah 2, Manasa Mataele, Sam Darry, Brodie McAlister, Tyson Elworthy, Ngantungane Punivai)

CONVERSIONS: 4 (Riley Williams 2, Tyson Elworthy con, Ngantungane Punivai)

MANAWATU: 14

TRIES: 2 (Junta Hamano, Kyle Brown)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Sam Coles, Liam O’Connor)

Counties Manukau 22 – 43 Taranaki

Saturday, 30 August – Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe

Taranaki made a flying start when halfback Leone Nawai sparked a break that saw flanker Sage Walters-Hansen scorch 40 metres to score. Counties replied soon after as flanker Alamanda Motuga broke clear to set up centre Sione Molia. A slick combination between Daniel Rona and Josh Setu restored Taranaki’s lead, only for Counties’ pack to storm back with Hoskins Sotutu crossing after a powerful build-up. A Gibson Popoali’i penalty gave the hosts a 15-14 halftime advantage.

After the break, Taranaki took charge. Rona’s break set up Josh Jacomb for a try, before the playmaker added a penalty and instigated a 50-metre counter that led to Kaylum Boshier’s score. Counties stayed in touch via Sione Takai’s try from a maul, but late brilliance from Vereniki Tikoisolomone and Rona, both finishing sweeping moves, blew the margin out as the Amber and Blacks surged home.

COUNTIES MANUKAU: 22

TRIES: 3 (Sione Molia, Hoskins Sotutu, Sione Takai)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Gibson Popoali’i 2)

PENALTIES: 1 (Gibson Popoali’i)

TARANAKI: 43

TRIES: 6 (Sage Walters-Hansen, Josh Setu, Josh Jacomb, Kaylum Boshier, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Daniel Rona tries)

CONVERSIONS: 5 (Josh Jacomb 5

PENALTIES: 1 (Josh Jacomb)

Northland 27 – 22 Hawke’s Bay

Saturday, 30 August – Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei

Northland’s early dominance yielded just two penalties to Rivez Reihana before Hawke’s Bay struck, centre Nick Grigg bulldozing through three defenders for the opening try. Another Reihana penalty kept the hosts close, but soon after flanker Miracle Fai’ilagi stormed down the sideline to score for the visitors. Right on halftime, Corey Evans crashed through to give Northland a 13-12 lead.

Soon after the restart, Brady Rush extended the margin with a well-finished move out wide, but Zarn Sullivan’s pace pulled the Bay level after Grigg’s opportunistic kick through. Hamish Godfrey’s penalty put the Magpies ahead, only for Northland’s pack to pile on relentless pressure in the closing stages. Replacement lock Sam Caird crashed over for the match-winner, sealing a famous home victory.

NORTHLAND: 27

TRIES: 3 (Corey Evans, Brady Rush, Sam Caird)

CONVERSIONS: 3 (Rivez Reihana 3)

PENALTIES: 2 (Rivez Reihana 2)

HAWKE’S BAY: 22

TRIES: 3 (Nick Grigg, Miracle Fai’ilagi, Zarn Sullivan)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Hamish Godfrey 2)

PENALTIES: 1 (Hamish Godfrey)

Tasman 31 – 27 Otago

Saturday, 30 August – Trafalgar Park, Nelson

A chaotic start saw Tasman punished when Jona Nareki’s charge-down launched a sweeping Otago move, flanker Lucas Casey feeding Josh Timu for the try. Shortly after, halfback Dylan Pledger pounced on loose ball to score Otago’s second, and when hooker Henry Bell was driven over, the visitors held a 21-17 halftime advantage despite tries to David Havili and Leicester Fainga’anuku for the hosts.

Otago pushed seven clear through a Cameron Millar penalty, but Tasman’s bench made the difference. Replacement hooker Tomasi Maka struck twice from mauls, the second after the hooter, to snatch a thrilling comeback victory. William Havili’s reliable boot kept the Mako close until Maka’s late heroics sealed a dramatic Trafalgar Park triumph.

TASMAN: 31

TRIES: 4 (David Havili, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Tomasi Maka 2)

CONVERSIONS: 4 (William Havili 4)

PENALTIES: 1 (William Havili)

OTAGO: 27

TRIES: 3 (Josh Timu, Dylan Pledger, Henry Bell)

CONVERSIONS: 3 (Cameron Millar 3)

PENALTIES: (Cameron Millar 2)

Wellington 36 – 17 Auckland

Sunday, 31 August – Porirua Park, Wellington

Wellington struck inside two minutes, Julian Savea creating space for fullback Ruben Love to score. Prop Xavier Numia then charged 40 metres to extend the lead with a remarkable solo effort. Auckland responded through Angus Ta’avao’s close-range try, but a Jackson Garden-Bachop penalty ensured a 17-7 halftime lead for the Lions.

In worsening conditions, Auckland errors proved costly. Caleb Delany charged down a kick, with Hugo Plummer diving on the ball to score, before wing Losi Filipo crashed through under the posts. Caleb Clarke finished a sweeping move to give Auckland hope, while Caleb Tangitau’s intercept try cut the gap further. But Wellington weren’t finished — replacement prop Kenshi Yamamoto powered over at the death to seal a bonus-point win.

WELLINGTON: 36

TRIES: 5 (Ruben Love, Xavier Numia, Hugo Plummer, Losi Filipo, Kenshi Yamamoto)

CONVERSIONS: 4 (Jackson Garden-Bachop 4)

PENALTIES: 1 (Jackson Garden-Bachop)

AUCKLAND: 17

TRIES: 3 (Angus Ta’avao, Caleb Clarke, Caleb Tangitau)

CONVERSIONS: 1 (Rico Simpson)

Waikato 10 – 25 Southland

Sunday, 31 August – FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

Southland defied the odds to claim the Ranfurly Shield, winning it for the first time since 2011 and notching their third consecutive victory for the first time since 2013. Byron Smith opened with a penalty, but Waikato responded through hooker Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia’s try and a Lima Sopoaga penalty for a 10-3 lead. No.8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa muscled over before halftime to close the gap to two.

Smith edged Southland ahead with a penalty, before Ta’eiloa burst off a scrum and linked with halfback Nic Shearer, who finished brilliantly in the corner. Smith’s sideline conversion added to the momentum, and minutes later Fletcher Morgan raced onto Smith’s perfectly weighted kick to score. Southland’s defence held firm in the final quarter as they secured a famous Shield triumph.

WAIKATO: 10

TRIES: 1 (Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia)

CONVERSIONS: 1 (Lima Sopoaga)

PENALTIES: 1 (Lima Sopoaga)

SOUTHLAND: 25

TRIES: 3 (Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, Nic Shearer, Fletcher Morgan)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Byron Smith 2

PENALTIES: 2 (Byron Smith 2)

New Zealand NPC – Round 5: Southland upset Waikato for history-making Ranfurly Shield win