Rugby: Old winners near top of Meads table

Poverty Bay assistant coach and former All Black Rico Gear played against North Otago on Saturday, 17 years after he last wore the red jersey of his home union. PHOTO/FILE

The Lochore Cup finalists of 2013 are sitting in the prime positions of the Meads Cup playoffs, as South Canterbury and Buller continued their impressive start to 2014 with big victories away from home on Saturday.

South Canterbury travelled across Arthur's Pass to hand out a heavy 49-15 defeat to West Coast in Greymouth, while Buller proved their victory over North Otago the previous week was no aberration, destroying East Coast 62-6 in Ruatoria.

Both teams' ascension to the top of the table was helped by the fact the two likely strong contenders, Mid Canterbury and Wairarapa Bush, met at Masterton's Memorial Park where they fought to a 23-23 stalemate.

At Rugby Park in Greymouth, Maile l'Ongi scored two tries for South Canterbury while Paula Fifta continued his point-scoring ways from the previous week's win over Wanganui by adding 24 points from a try, five conversions and three penalties.

Buller racked up seven tries for none in reply in Ruatoria as Iliesa Ravudra grabbed a hat-trick while his team ran away with the game in the second half, putting on 44 unanswered points in the biggest scoreline in the past two seasons.

North Otago might have been nervous when they saw who was warming up at fullback for Poverty Bay in their Oamaru clash.

Nineteen-test All Black Rico Gear returned to his Gisborne home after finishing his long career with Japanese club Kintetsu Liners in February.

Preparing for a post-playing career, Gear accepted the role of development officer and assistant coach for Poverty Bay and although the 36-year-old had said in April he would not play because of long-needed surgery on his wrist, he agreed to step in for the unavailable Brad Turei.

Gear scored a try, but North Otago rebounded from their first-up loss to Buller by pulling away for a 43-34 win during what must have been an entertaining clash, with 11 tries scored.

Meanwhile, goal-kicking proved the key for Thames Valley as David Harrison slotted five penalty attempts for his team to hold off King County 15-10 at home in Te Aroha.

Wanganui are now not only long odds for the Meads Cup, but may struggle to earn favourable position in the Lochore Cup, as they must now face North Otago at Cooks Gardens and Mid Canterbury in Ashburton over consecutive weeks, creating the frightening prospect of being without points after four rounds.