Taranaki claimed a 28-12 victory over Auckland at home in the NPC on September 3, 2026. The result ended a four-match losing run for the visitors and gave the hosts momentum after a mixed run of form. And here's the thing — Auckland had not tasted victory since that mid-August win against Wellington.
The home side came into the fixture having won their previous outing 40-26 against Canterbury, but the run before that told a different story. They had lost three in a row: 0-42 to Northland, 32-38 to Waikato, and 24-28 to Bay of Plenty. To be fair, they had also managed a 20-5 win over Counties Manukau at the start of August.
Auckland's situation was starker. Four defeats in a row — 19-22 to Bay of Plenty, 19-27 to North Harbour, 31-44 to Hawke's Bay, and then this one — left them searching for answers. By then the pressure was building, and the 16-point margin did not disguise the fact that something needed to change.
The win moves Taranaki forward in the table while Auckland's recent trajectory continues to worry supporters. One match does not make a season, but it does show where the momentum sits right now.