Rugby: Leaders down in league upsets

By PETER JESSUP

The top end of the national club rugby league championship table compressed again after the weekend's round, with leaders Otahuhu and chargers Mt Albert beaten by lower-placed Wainuiomata and Ngongotaha.

The Eastern Tornadoes notched a big scalp, too, becoming the first team to down the Canterbury Bulls in 11 games in Christchurch with a 24-20 win yesterday sparked by an 80m intercept try.

The upsets leave Otahuhu on top in the Bartercard Cup competition but with a shortened margin, the Tornadoes equal second with the Bulls, and Mt Albert, Wainuiomata, Manurewa, Hibiscus, Northcote and Glenora all within four points of each other.

Canterbury held a slender halftime lead after a try late in the first 40 minutes to wing Scott Woodgate. But the game turned when Tornadoes five-eighths Remus Gentles snapped a wayward pass and went from his 20m mark to score, and with Mark Murray slotting two field goals, the visitors never relinquished the lead.

Hibiscus Coast scored six tries to Northcote's four at Stanmore Bay to win 32-28, with home team coach Brian McClennan sure his troops always had victory in sight, despite the closeness of the margin.

Northcote fullback Jared Trott kept the visitors in the game with six goals.

In recognition of the Northland input to the club, which includes Whangarei-resident Mackie and Solomon, the Raiders are planning to take a game to the city. Talks are on to shift their home match against the Eastern Tornadoes in a fortnight to Whangarei's Jubilee Park.

Hibiscus Coast look to be coming right at the correct time. There are 14 points available from the remaining seven games, and all bar the Ngongotaha Chiefs and Porirua Pumas are still in contention.

The Hibiscus Coast Raiders had three draws in the first round and have coped with a heavy injury toll.

Three of Northcote's tries came from dummy-half runs near the line and the fourth from a kick deflected from a Raiders player.

Mount rested six top-liners, including standout lock John Vaigafa and half Luke Rogers, in their 12-21 loss to Ngongotaha.

Manurewa also pushed closer to the top of the table after their 28-20 win over Marist/Richmond. Their side is also stacked with local juniors who are gelling into the type of unit that could upset more highly fancied teams.

Otahuhu blamed complacency for their 14-34 loss to Wainuiomata, and the defeat will more than likely be bad news for their opponents in coming rounds, while the sleeping giants of the competition, the Glenora Bears, breathed some life back into their campaign after a series of losses by holding the big Porirua pack in the wet at Ericsson Stadium for a 32-22 win yesterday.