Rugby: Chase is on to catch competition leader

Dan Hollinshead scores for Te Puke Sports against Mount Maunganui on Saturday. Photo/Andrew Warner

Te Puke Sports find themselves in the driver's seat of the Bayfair Baywide premier club rugby competition after avenging their worst loss of the season against second-placed Mount Maunganui.

The Pirates, stung by the 43-point hiding in the first round at the hands of the Mount, are in a strong position with just three rounds remaining in the regular season.

An eight-point competition lead was just reward for Te Puke's four-tries-to-two performance that consigned Mount Maunganui to the four-way battle for the remaining three playoff spots.

Tauranga Sports cut loose against Rangiuru to stake their claim, running in 13 tries to Rangiuru's brace in a free-flowing game at Tauranga Domain.

Phillip Tototogorua, Brent Hamlin and Nic Evemy scored doubles for the defending champions, who were the beneficiaries of a hat-trick from the game's outstanding figure, blindside flanker Jeff Thwaites.

Evemy scored 29 points in all and looked assured in his former position of first five-eighth.

Whakarewarewa picked up maximum competition points from their clash with Te Puna, leaving them in fourth place with three rounds remaining - still every chance of securing a home semifinal.

Te Puna had not lost to Whakarewarewa since 2011, but were outscored five-tries-to-two at Maramatanga Park.

The result was crucial for Whakarewarewa, who will likely need a drastic improvement in goal kicking to mount a serious threat in the coming weeks.

Greerton Marist needed a win against Opotiki away from home to keep serious hopes of the post-season alive, and they picked it up with a tight 18-12 result that leaves them in fifth place, three points out of the top four.

The boot of Tim O'Malley proved the difference between sides that scored two tries apiece.

Rangataua fought out a low-scoring 5-5 draw with Rotoiti in the round's other match.