THE wheels which had been wobbling for PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape came flying off at Dallison Park as Waverley Harvesting Border proved might makes right with a 53-8 thumping on Saturday.
All but guaranteed No1 spot on the table for the rest of the Tasman Tanning Premier round-robin, Border's reinforcement of their forward pack in the second round and cultivated bench depth reaped rewards as their heavyweights flattened Taihape's cruiserweights.
A three-try scoring burst in six minutes during the first quarter virtually put the visitors out of it, while two more back-to-back scores at the 60th minute from Border, pouncing on Taihape's backline fumbles, set the home side on the path to a half century and made Taihape's prior nine-game winning streak a distant memory.
Border avenged their round one defeat, also being motivated by Taihape's alleged gamesmanship after captain Tremaine Gilbert withdrew from the mid-week representative game from which seven Border players were backing up.
Gilbert had his left hand wrapped in ice after the game and explained he had been in for an MRI scan and probably should not have played on Saturday either, which suggests there were not sinister motives.
But one cannot deny Border felt how they felt and took it out on the field.
Prop Tietie Tuimauga and try-scoring No8 Renato Tikoisolomone destroyed Taihape up the centre of the ground, while centre Kaveni Dabenaise pounced when they were stuck in the mud, trying to get out of their own 22m, to swipe a second-half hat-trick.
Fullback Nick Harding made his comeback and while looking ginger on his tight hamstring and missing the more difficult conversions, he still backed up well with a try under the bar, before handing over to the keen Grayson Tihema for the last 45 minutes.
With Jack Hodge filling the breach, representative locks Gavin Thornbury and Sam Madams were able to alternate one half each, which was no problem with Ray Stark, Hamish Mellow and especially Cole Baldwin on top of things in the forwards.
Having conceded a mountain of turnovers and dropped ball after they tried to start the match up-tempo, Taihape can expect a real tongue-lashing at training from coach Kerry Whale, who was visiting his son in Dunedin.
Whale's absence was a shame for Border coach Ross Williams, who felt a bit like General George Patton when he found out the Afrika Korps he defeated was not led by Erwin Rommel.
"Those guys that played on Wednesday really brought back a high level and got the rest of the boys up," Williams said.
"Other than the last minute, we haven't conceded a try in four weeks.
"I was unhappy with a few things - where we plant the ball at the breakdown. But I couldn't fault the effort."
Nursing his sore hand, a glum Gilbert said they would have to work on handling and building their own depth back up with a couple of injuries and absences in the squad.
"We pretty much just leave [today] in the past where it belongs. We just want to have a home semi - that's our goal.
"They had more skill with the ball, they capitalised on any opportunity. They were clinical."
Taihape opened the scoring with a Taylor Tramson penalty as they started keen while Border made a couple of loose passes.
But it all clicked from the 12th minute as Baldwin forced a turnover in Taihape's 22 and the ball was spread to centre Fraser Middleton to run a great line and flick a basketball-style pass to unmarked winger Isaiah Hooper.
Straight from kick-off it was Baldwin, Pearce and Tuimauga who each busted the line then first five James Forsythe scorched through a yawning gap to put Harding under the bar.
Taihape lost their first possession in 5 minutes not long after and Thornbury ran through, chipped ahead and controlled his dive to leave the visitors shellshocked at 17-3 in the 16th minute.
They could get no traction with isolated fullback Dane Whale having to go himself and the midfield of Jaye Flaws and Cyrus Paringatai lacking their usual punch, with Paringatai adding to the injury woes when he limped off in the second half.
Border got their bonus point shortly before halftime as Tuimauga made another rampage and popped a perfect pass to Forsythe for a 45m joyride to the posts.
They kept it going after the break as winger Tom Symes shook off his earlier handling issues for a beautiful scything run, finding Baldwin in support who in turn fed the tryline-magnet Dabenaise.
As the rain started, Tikoisolomone bulldozed his way from a 22m lineout to the tryline, even teasing a little goose step in front of the women in the marquee tent for "Ladies Day" at the club.
Playing behind a beaten pack, Taihape first five Tom Wells kept trying to attack from their own half, but the ball came loose again and Dabenaise was gone under the posts.
Moments later, Middleton claimed the kickoff and sliced straight through Taihape's chasers, having his attempted chip kick partially charged but a whooping Dabenaise was there to raise his hat-trick in the space of a minute.
The procession continued from a couple of 5m scrums as Stark drove to the line and then the ball was flicked out to Symes to walk over for the half-century.
Taihape kept trying to break out with halfback James Barrett's grubber kicks and some good passing from their bench players, finally getting close enough for Gilbert to attack the line and offload for the unmarked Ash Tamehana to break Border's tryless streak on defence.
¦Border 53 (Kaveni Dabenaise 3, Isaiah Hooper, Nick Harding, Gavin Thornbury, James Forsythe, Renato Tikoisolomone, Tom Symes tries; Harding 2 con, Grayson Tihema 2 con) Taihape 8 (Ash Tamehana try, Taylor Transom pen). HT: 24-3.