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North Harbour knocked Hawke’s Bay off their perch, handing the Magpies their first loss of the season, while winning their fifth game.
They won one in 2025. North Harbour’s last win was against Hawke’s Bay was 46-10 in 2020.
Otago scored his highest against Tasman in a 57-33 victory Friday night. Lucas Casey has scored in his last eight NPC games.
That equals John Timu’s Otago record and is one shy of Karl Te Nana, who scored in nine consecutive games in 1997. In the Farah Palmer Cup, Waikato and former Black Ferns prostitute Grace Houpapa-Barrett recently scored in 12 consecutive matches.
Auckland snapped a four game losing streak with a 43-33 win over Counties Manukau.
It’s no surprise that the Steelers have stumbled into Eden Park, winning just two of their last 26 games at the stadium.
Wellington suffered more embarrassment, losing 66-19 to Canterbury in Christchurch, their ninth straight loss.
Their worst streak in ten straight. 66 points he received Lions to match the result received in a miserable Ranfurly Shield challenge in 1995.
That is the second most in 183 games against the red and black and the third most of all time.
Daniel Lienert-Brown, winner of four NPC Premierships, celebrated his 100th game for Canterbury.
He is the 29th centurion of Canterbury. Other props to break a century include Murray Davie (123), John Ashworth (114), Stu Loe (122), Chris Earl (101) and Ben Funnell (101).
On Sunday, Southland broke Bay of Plenty 43-12, their biggest win against Bay of Plenty. Their previous biggest win against the Steamers was in 1977, when they won 26-6. All Blacks and New Zealand cricketer Brian McKechnie scored 22 points.
It’s the Stags’ biggest win in any game since the mauling Manawatu 37-12 in 2023.
Moses Basson (Manawatu)
Manawatu have three consecutive matches for the first time since 2021 and, with four wins in 2026, have made their best return since winning 10 of 12 games and winning the Division Two title in 2014.
The Turbos trio of loose forwards could be the best in the competition. Super Rugby veterans TK Howden and Brayden Iose are in powerful form.
Howden ranks in the top ten of the NPC in carries, catches and line moves. Iose scored two vintage tries in the first win against Taranaki in 10 matches since 2013. The 2013 match was a scrappy contest which he won 12-6 on four penalties from Jade Te Rure.
Sandwiched between Howden and Iose is the extremely abrasive and promising Mosese Bason. The former New Zealand High Schools and Under-20 international, who won the Sir John Graham Medal as the best player at the Tapou 2024 Under-20 Super Rugby tournament, has cemented a regular place at the Turbos.
He has started 10 of his last 11 games after making four of nine appearances off the bench in 2025.5.
Against Taranaki, Basson made ten energetic carries. His 16 tackles, including a rib against Sam Clarke, and three turnovers were vital to the Turbos’ success.
Basson won a jackal that advanced Manawtu into Taranaki territory just before Reece MacDonald’s winning penalty with two minutes remaining.
Between 2022 and 2024 Manawatu won 3 out of 30 matches. The Turbos have won 7 of 17 since 2025.
Sam Nock (Northland)
He became Northland’s 23rd centurion and the first halfback since Sid Going, arguably Northland’s most iconic player.
For a decade, the 29-Test All Black was the most prolific winner, with six Tom French Maori Player of the Year trophies.
Nock was responsible for 10 of Northland’s 31 kicks, helping the Tanwhais win the territorial contest with some clever long and short tackling options.
He distributed with his usual speed and variety and scored his 25th try with a trademark snipe.
Lachie Hooper might be the most valuable recruit in the NPC. The Aussie openside switched to lock and had 11 tackles, 11 carries, two tries and six line catches in another full-throttle display.
Oli Mathis never died on his 21st birthday for Waikato with 19 tackles, two turnovers and 15 carries from Mooloo.
Jed Melvin (North Port)
The open side is the heart of North Harbour, with 45 of the last 49 games.
Against Hawke’s Bay, he scored a try, made key carries in the lead-up to their second try, and when trailing 24-12 he provided the final pass to Oscar Koller, a game-changing try. Melvin surpassed the number of attempts with 16 and made 14 carries.
Hawke’s Bay lock Geoff Cridge marked his 100th game with a try. He is the 16th man to break the century for the Magpies, the last before Sunday being his long-term partner Tom Parsons.