Southland secured a narrow 32-31 victory over Waikato in their Bunnings NPC encounter, ending what had been a difficult stretch in their recent form. Coming into the match, Southland had managed just one win in their last five matches, while Waikato arrived with two victories in their previous five outings.
The single-point margin represents a significant result for the home side, who defied both their recent struggles and the historical head-to-head record between these teams. In their six previous meetings, Waikato had held the advantage with four wins to Southland’s two, with no draws recorded.
Waikato’s narrow defeat adds a loss to their recent sequence, though they will rue their inability to close out such a tight contest. The visiting side had opportunities throughout but ultimately fell short by the slimmest of margins.
The result provides Southland with momentum as they look to build on this hard-fought victory, while Waikato will need to regroup after letting a winnable match slip away in the final moments.