A late try to Auckland reserve front rower Glory Aiono saw the Storm snatch a 37-36 win over Waikato, and with it, the JJ Stewart Challenge Trophy.
The lead changed four times in the first half alone, with Grace Houpapa-Barrett opening the scoring for the home side and crossing again just before the break to see Waikato trailing 19-24.
In the opening few minutes of the second half, Waikato took the lead, but it again seesawed throughout, a 76th-minute try to Aiono giving Auckland the one-point advantage they managed to hold on to.
Up State Highway 1 in Pukekohe, it was another high-scoring affair between Counties Manukau Heat and Manawatu Cyclones.
Counties Manukau were walked to the field by their fathers, or father figures, and went on to run in four first-half tries, with Sariyah Paitai nabbing a double. In an identical half-time score to the other Premiership fixture, the home side led 24-19 at the break.
The Cyclones proved too strong in the second half, with five tries confirming a 52-45 win and back-to-back victories to open their season.
Canterbury continued their strong start to the season with a 67-7 win over Bay of Plenty. England international Maisy Allen ran in four tries in a player-of-the-match performance, and Canterbury sit atop the table with the full complement of points after two rounds.
In the Championship, the Northland Kauri and Wellington Pride lead the charge as the two unbeaten sides.
Wellington Pride hosted the North Harbour Hibiscus and would have been surprised to find themselves trailing 17-24 at the break. Shoring up their defence for the second half, they kept a clean score sheet, and two tries to Merania Paraone and Keira Su'a-Smith locked in the 34-24 bonus-point victory.
In the far north, the Northland Kauri held on for a 22-19 win over the Otago Spirit. A first-half double for Terai Elia had the home team in the lead 12-0 at the break, but the Spirit came out firing in the second half. Scoring 19 points, they went within a whisker of taking the win, only to run out of time.
Tasman hosted the Hawke's Bay Tui in Blenheim to round out the Championship matches for round two. The home side opened the scoring and held a 15-14 lead at the half-time break, but four tries in the second half for the Tui saw the visitors claim a 36-22 win.
Next weekend sees a top-of-the-table Premiership clash between Canterbury and Manawatu, while Auckland will look to defend the JJ Stewart Challenge Trophy against Counties Manukau.