Marist centre Josaiah Bogileka dives in to score one of Marist's seven tries in their big win over Ruapehu at Spriggens Park on Saturday.
Second spot on the Tasman Tanning Premier table continues to be a poisoned chalice as a battle-weary McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu met a Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist side hitting the peak of their powers at a windy Spriggens Park on Saturday.
In previous times of injury concerns, Ruapehu have been able to paper over their cracks and maintain continuity, but Marist didn't just probe the weak points, they smashed right through them with an unrestrainable backline who were a joy to watch with ball in hand.
The 48-17 blowout to lift the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield came on the back of a clinical first half where Marist had the breeze at their backs and virtually everything they tried came off - the 38-0 scoreline out-weighing even Marist's previous best 40 minutes when they got away from Waverley Harvesting Border in May to hand them their sole loss in 2017.
Fullback Cameron Crowley was in vintage touch, as he swept into the line with impeccable timing off the long passes of second-five Steelie Koro - always able to hit his man in the gap - to set up multiple tries out wide.
The tryscoring Ah Chong boys - winger Elijah and blindside flanker Lake - were in top form, with Elijah unstoppable in open pasture down the tramlines, while Lake and his fellow loosies Ryan Gill and Taione Ratu gave as good as they got from Ruapehu's cagey veteran forwards.
Ruapehu's backline leader Craig Clare would have telegraphed Cameron's intentions, but he was sidelined with concussion, and along with the absence of Shaq Waara, Ruapehu had to re-shuffle with Josh Fifita at No10 and representative flanker Jamie Hughes at second-five until he limped off in the second half.
Hughes' departure was added headache for an already makeshift Ruapehu loose forward group with Campbell Hart still nursing his groin strain.
This time, Ruapehu could not plug those holes, while halfback Kahl Elers-Green let the pressure get the better of him after being sinbinned for a late shot on his opposite Sean Brown, having previously been warned for rough play.
Ruapehu did settle in the second half when they brought on veterans Andrew Evans and George Williams, while Marist annoyed their coach Jason Hamlin by going against instruction and trying to kick into the breeze.
The Ruapehu's forwards scored three tries from close range, but Marist reset their lines to deny the visitors even a bonus point.
"It was our best performance in five years, that first half," said Hamlin.
"That's what you work for but it doesn't always come off.
"We attacked the spaces [where] they weren't there. Credit to the boys today."
For Ruapehu coach Daisy Alabaster, it was best to just put the afternoon in the rear-view mirror and keep moving forward.
In previous weeks, the defeated second-placed team often took a significant tumble down the impossibly tight competition table, but with Border getting past PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape and Black Bull Liquor Pirates on the bye, Ruapehu only stepped back to third with no need to panic.
"We were a little bit beaten up from the last few weeks," said Alabaster.
"They were too good, too fit, too fast."
Alabaster said his squad should definitely be back to full strength by at least their final round robin game on July 15.
With Marist now the side having a run of facing consecutive playoff contenders in Taihape and Border, the race for the second home semifinal spot remains wide open.
Marist opened their account with a Mitchell Millar penalty going in off the timber, then winger Simon Dibben put the pressure on with a chip-kick chase, and Koro rapidly transferred the ball from one sideline to the other for Cameron to sweep through and put Elijah Ah Chong outside his young opposite Matthew Clark to score.
Ruapehu struggled to find touch-finders in the wind, and when Marist lock Aiden Fitzgerald pinched their lineout, Cameron again set Elijah Ah Chong loose, and when he was stopped at the corner flag, Lake Ah Chong linked with Gill and Fitzgerald for Ratu to dive through for 17-0.
The hits kept coming as Cameron was just ankle-tapped when sneaking through, and then prop Marek Willis popped a great ball for Gill to make it back-to-back tries.
Marist broke out of their half with forwards and backs handling together, as centre Josaia Bogileka handed off his tackler and make it 31-0 in as many minutes.
They still weren't done as Dibben slipped midfield but powered up and stepped through a ragged Ruapehu wall to find Koro, who gave Lake Ah Chong an open line.
Marist then proved it wasn't all about the wind advantage as following halftime they got a penalty tap and Koro hit Bogileka with another perfect pass to make it an unthinkable 43-0.
But the home side then went away from what worked as they tried attacking kicks, with Ruapehu able to rumble forward and eventually get a close-range scrum, with the veteran pack driving No8 Jackson Campbell over.
Hooker Roman Tutauha made a determined bust up the centre, then Ruapehu spread wide with Williams backing up winger Corey Carmichael, as Ruapehu then drove at the line, earning a penalty which Evans tapped to dive across for 43-12.
Marist knuckled back down as Gill twisted through tacklers and Crowley followed up with another big run, before Marist spread again and Elijah Ah Chong had an open line for his double.
Ruapehu again worked forward off penalties and took a quick tap for reserve prop Gabriel Hakaraia to be driven over with nine minutes left, but after that Marist's line held and turned them away to ensure Ruapehu left Spriggens with nothing.
Marist 48 (Elijah Ah Chong 2, Josaia Bogileka 2, Ryan Gill, Taione Ratu, Lake Ah Chong tries; Mitchell Millar pen, 5 con) bt Ruapehu 17 (Jackson Campbell, Andrew Evans, Gabriel Hakaraia tries; Cruz Pene con). HT: 38-0.