Mitre10 Highlights: North Harbour v Counties Manukau (Round 1)

North Harbour secured a slender 20-17 victory over Counties Manukau in the opening match of the Mitre 10 Cup. Each side managed one try and penalty in the first half as we were deadlocked at 10-10 at the break. A successful penalty and a second try for North Harbour in quick succession saw them lead 20-10 with little over 20 minutes to play. Counties crossed for their second try with 7 minutes left, setting up a tense finish with Counties just metres away from scoring again in the dying seconds. But the North Harbour defence held firm as they managed to hold on for a narrow win.