Northland eased to a comfortable 28-14 victory over Southland in the NPC on 2 October 2026. The result keeps the visitors fourth on 33 points while the hosts remain in 13th with 13 points after nine rounds. To be fair, the gap between them was never really in doubt once Northland got going.
The visitors had already shown they could string wins together, beating Counties Manukau 19-22 on the road before that dominant 52-28 win over Wellington. Southland, meanwhile, had only managed one victory in their last five outings — a 43-12 thrashing of Bay of Plenty — and were struggling to find consistency. And here's the thing, you can see it in the results: they're not getting over the line when it matters.
Looking at the broader picture, Southland's campaign has been uneven from start to finish. They lost seven of nine games, including defeats to Canterbury 21-34 and Counties Manukau 24-47. Northland's three losses came against stronger opposition — Wellington, Taranaki and Waikato — and they've bounced back with four wins in their last five matches. By then, any doubt about their direction should have been settled.
We had called for a Northland victory with 68 per cent confidence, and the margin of victory suggests we weren't far off the mark. The visitors didn't travel to make up the numbers; they came to test themselves and delivered when it counted. The scoreline tells you everything about where this game went after the opening exchanges.
The result leaves Northland three points clear of fifth place and gives them breathing room ahead of the final rounds. Southland have two wins to show for nine games and cannot afford another slip if they want to avoid the bottom of the table. And here's the thing, it's not just about points — it's about momentum, and right now only one side has it.
