Northland are giving Canterbury a scare in their challenge for rugby's Ranfurly Shield, trailing the holders by one point, 16-15, at half-time.
Canterbury's Sam Whitelock scored the first try in the Air New Zealand Cup match in Christchurch, catching a pin-point kick from Stephen Brett on Northland's try-line.
But Joel McKenty has crossed twice for the challengers, and Northland would have gone into the half-time break had Lachie Munro not missed the second conversion.