After two years of buildup and seasoning, Taihape finally claimed a victory over a fellow Top 4 team on Saturday with their 28-18 victory over Integrity Motors Pirates at Memorial Park knocking the city club off the top of the Tasman Tanning Premier table.
While Pirates have had injury concerns and a player suspension, Taihape have spent all of 2014 making do with a core group of players and would see no gloss taken from their big win, which came on the heels of a hat-trick by speedy winger Jaye Flaws and another try by loose forward Marcus Tottman.
As they did the week before against McCarthy's Ruapehu, Taihape came back from a halftime deficit but this time they made sure to hang on to their advantage.
Pirates' second defeat in three games let Ruapehu reclaim the top spot on the table after their 36-3 shutout of Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau in Ohakune.
But this is a much more tightly contested table in 2014 with the top four all within three points of each other while Harvey Round Motors Ratana stays just inside striking range after their bye week.