Taranaki withstood a ferocious challenge for the Ranfurly Shield from Tasman before prevailing 49-40 in New Plymouth on Saturday.
Taranaki breathed a collective sigh of relief after holding on in a 10-try thriller to also make it two-from-two in their national provincial championship campaign.
Tasman, who upset Canterbury in their first match last week, went close to their greatest result since the union was formed when Marlborough and Nelson Bays merged in 2006.
It took the brilliance of Taranaki first five-eighth Beauden Barrett to secure victory for the hosts.
Barrett made a break to set up the first of their five tries, after 30 seconds, to No.8 Blade Thomson and he crossed himself with two minutes remaining to finally make the result safe.
The fringe All Black made a number of breaks and finished with a points haul of 29 to follow his 22-point effort in the defeat of Bay of Plenty last weekend.
Tasman refused to relent, hitting the lead 35-32 early in the second spell when hooker Quentin MacDonald completed a hat-trick of tries to their starting front row after props Campbell Johnstone and Tim Perry had crossed before the break.
There were five tries in the first 33min, including a double to Taranaki's Kurt Baker, shifted to fullback in place of the injured Andre Taylor.
Wing Waisake Naholo scored their other try while others to score for Tasman were wing James Lowe, and exciting fullback Robbie Malneek, who crossed in the 60th minute while lock Vernon Fredericks was in the sinbin for a professional foul.
Tasman second five-eighth and captain Andrew Goodman was influential throughout and finished with 15 points from the boot.
Taranaki, who saw off lightweight Shield challenges from King Country and Wanganui earlier this year, will host Hawke's Bay for their next defence on September 7.
NZN
