Northland have earned a 38-28 upset win over Waikato in their National Provincial Championship clash at Whangarei.
The Taniwha dominated territory and possession in the first half, then held off a late Waikato charge in the second stanza to record their first win of the season and celebrate stalwart Rene Ranger's 100th game in the Cambridge blue in style.
Waikato appeared on the brink of an improbable comeback from a 24-7 halftime deficit, when speedster Liam Coombes-Fabling crossed for his third try in the dying stages, but Northland flanker Sam McNamara snuck clear from a ruck and put the game beyond reach.
Ranger - who made his Northland debut in 2006 - was prominent throughout the contest, playing a hand in two tries and anchoring a staunch defensive effort in the midfield, while halfback Sam Nock caused havoc around the edge of the ruck.
Flanker Mitchell Jacobson was a standout for Waikato, alongside Coombes-Fabling, whose hat-trick lifted him to the top of the NPC's tryscorer list (six).
The visitors opened the scoring in the eighth minute, with Coombes-Fabling cashing in on a superb Mosese Dawai offload for his first of the night.
The Taniwha struck back through Jone Macilai, who showed his trademark power by finishing under duress in the corner.
The hosts promptly struck again, as Ranger ghosted through a hole and put flanker Kara Pryor over the chalk.
Northland's lead was further extended, when Blake Hohaia sent halfback Sam Nock under the crossbar, with Dan Hawkins adding a penalty to round out a dominant first half to hold a daunting advantage at the break.
Waikato made the ideal start to the second half, with Dawai breaking the line to start a movement from deep for Jacobson to complete.
But Northland were quick to respond, as Hohaia finished a movement started by a bullocking run from Macilai to restore Northland's lead.
Coombes-Fabling was set free from a slick set-piece move to secure his brace, before a yellow card to D'Angelo Leuila for taking out a player in the air threatened to derail Waikato's comeback effort.
But when Coombes-Fabling grabbed his third off a Fletcher Smith crossfield kick, the 'Mooloo Men' were suddenly within three points with seven minutes to play.
With two minutes to play, flanker Sam McNamara then ran in unimpeded to spark wild celebration among the Taniwha and the local faithful.
Northland 38 (Jone Macilai-Tori, Kara Pryor, Sam Nock, Blake Hohaia, Sam McNamara tries; Dan Hawkins 5 conversions, penalty) Waikato 28 (Liam Coombes-Fabling 3, Mitch Jacobson tries; Fletcher Smith 4 conversions) HT: 24-7
