Tasman have continued their perfect run in the Mitre 10 Cup, picking up their eighth straight victory with a 40-0 humiliation of Auckland in Nelson.
Coming into the clash at Trafalgar Park with seven wins from seven, and with a seven-point lead over Wellington atop of the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership ladder, Tasman looked to keep up their so far unbeaten record in 2019.
Auckland meanwhile, were out to keep pressure on the likes of Canterbury and Wellington in the hunt for second place on the table, while seeing off any competition to fourth place from both Waikato and North Harbour.
It took just three minutes for the Mako to strike, as Andrew Makalio forced his way over with the help of his forward pack from a lineout drive.
Perhaps unlucky to miss out on All Blacks selection, it was fullback David Havili that sparked Tasman's next try, slicing through the Auckland defence to put Ethan Blackadder away and score under the posts for a 14-0 lead.
A yellow card to former All Black Wyatt Crockett for repeated infringements on the Tasman line was the only real first-half blemish for the hosts.
Despite being down a man, Tasman would keep Auckland at bay, striking immediately when back to their full complement through Leicester Fainga'anuku after a clever set play with halfback Finlay Christie.
Halftime couldn't arrive soon enough for Auckland, Tasman with a 19-0 lead.
Christie would go from provider to scorer after the break, the halfback showing great strength to hold off Auckland's defence, scoring with the aid of the TMO.
Blackadder would then have his second of the night, grabbing Tasman's fifth coming from a driving maul following a tap penalty.
Replacement hooker Hugh Roach had the final say, going over in the corner in the 70th minute, Tasman proving too much for Auckland to handle in every department, proving to be the team to beat in this year's Mitre 10 Cup.
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