Tauranga South were crowned national men's second division champions after another impressive performance at the inter-club finals.
The experienced South side picked up 22 points out of a possible 30 in Lower Hutt to win the title for the second time in three years.
Former national pairs champion Peter Clark, Bay men's
selector John Bush, Malcolm Kidd, reigning centre singles champion Robbie Frelan and David Janes tasted inter-club success again, being in the winning 2008 team.
"Everything went smoothly and everyone played to their full ability," said Janes, who was managing instead of playing.
Three years ago Tauranga South produced a perfect performance, winning all their matches. That was always going to be difficult to repeat but the club this time won 10 of their 15 games and drew two others.
Tauranga South took control of the division two final at the Hutt club by winning all their second and third-round matches, taking a four-point overnight lead in front of West End (New Plymouth).
The other finalists Karoro (West Coast), Kensington (Whangarei), Awamoa (North Otago) and Palmerston North were already out of contention.
Tauranga South stuttered in the fourth round with a win and draw - but so did West End - and Frelan wrapped up the contest when he won his fifth-round singles 21-10 over Awamoa.
He had another consistent tournament, his only loss against Karoro's Lance Pascoe 21-16. In a top-class match, Pascoe turned it on when the national selectors were watching - after he lost his first three games on the first day.
The four of Clark, Bush, Cameron Riddington and Dennis Duncan also had four wins, including one-sided 29-10 and 30-10 victories over West End and Palmerston North.
The new pairing of John Simons and Malcolm Kidd had two wins, and two draws with West End and Palmerston North in their last two matches.
Tauranga South finished five points in front of West End, and Karoro finished strongly in third place on 16 points, after winning all its six matches on the second day. Onehunga, of Auckland, won the women's division two title.
