Rugby: Ruapehu too good for under-manned rivals

Ruapehu hooker and captain Gabriel Hakaraia turned in another big performance.

As Tasman Tanning Premier rugby was on hold this weekend ahead of the Town vs Country representative trial in Hunterville this afternoon, the senior club competition took centre stage around the region.

The big news is undefeated Ruapehu made a major statement in Ohakune, coming from behind at halftime to beat a 14-man Ngamatapouri 29-14.

Having had 10 consecutive wins, this fortnight of games was considered to be the true test of the young Ruapehu team, starting with third-placed Ngamatapouri, whose only other loss had been to Ruapehu's opponent this coming weekend, the unbeaten defending champions Kelso Hunterville.

Photographer Merrilyn George said the visitors scored twice in the first 10 minutes for 14-0, before an intercept try by Kane Low narrowed the gap.

Ngamatapouri were not helped by first a yellow and then a red card around halftime, as Ruapehu then lifted with 22 points in the final quarter.

Low got his second try, followed by tries to Dion Hooper and Tawhio Gupwell.

Ruapehu captain Gabriel Hakaraia was named player of the day and took it to the Ngamatapouri pack.

His team remains head of the table and now stands as the biggest remaining unknown threat to Hunterville's grasp on the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield and perhaps their seventh straight senior championship.

The other question remaining with two weekends left until the split between the top six championship group and the bottom eight consolation grade is which of the next four teams on the table will squeeze into the remaining three spots.

Marist Celtic have all but secured themselves after they leapfrogged Speirs Food Marton with an important 33-13 win over them in a double-header of games at City College.

Tech's 38-26 victory over Border at the college saw them three points clear of Sealswinslow Pirates, who also picked up a bonus point in their 36-0 win over Counties in Kaiwhaiki.

With the next two weeks being "must-win" games to make the final top 6, Pirates travel to Ngamatapouri this weekend, while Tech head to Ohakune in the last game of the round on June 13.

Hunterville had no concerns on their trip to the Ratana Pa, thumping the home team 64-0 in their latest Shield defence.

In the other matches of Week 11, Taihape comfortably won the Memorial Park derby with Utiku Old Boys 34-0, while winless Marist Buffalo's finally got on the scoresheet for 2015 by seeing off Kaierau 21-12 at the Country Club.