Rugby: Taihape knocks Pirates off top spot

Amongst this heap of bodies, Marist second five Josiah Bogileka has scored in the first half against Marton. Photo/Stuart Munro

After two years of buildup and seasoning, Taihape finally claimed a victory over a fellow Top 4 team on Saturday with their 28-18 victory over Integrity Motors Pirates at Memorial Park knocking the city club off the top of the Tasman Tanning Premier table.

While Pirates have had injury concerns and a player suspension, Taihape have spent all of 2014 making do with a core group of players and would see no gloss taken from their big win, which came on the heels of a hat-trick by speedy winger Jaye Flaws and another try by loose forward Marcus Tottman.

As they did the week before against McCarthy's Ruapehu, Taihape came back from a halftime deficit but this time they made sure to hang on to their advantage.

Pirates' second defeat in three games let Ruapehu reclaim the top spot on the table after their 36-3 shutout of Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau in Ohakune.

But this is a much more tightly contested table in 2014 with the top four all within three points of each other while Harvey Round Motors Ratana stays just inside striking range after their bye week.

Coming off a bye themselves and with Taihape and Ruapehu doing so well, Waverley Harvesting Border needed maximum yield against cellar dwellers Utiku Old Boys and they got it with six tries in a 34-3 win at Dallison Park.

The season's leading points scorer Sikeli Ulukuta got a hat trick of tries while hooker Cole Baldwin grabbed a double.

Halfback Lindsay Horrocks impressed and goes back to the top of the Most Valuable Player standings.

Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist woes continued as they watched a 12-point buffer at halftime disappear against a Speirs Food Marton comeback, going down 22-17 at Spriggens Park.

Marton reserve Salu Peneli came on to score two tries.

In the Senior competition, Marist Celtic maintained their unbeaten record with a 15-10 over Taihape at Memorial Park, staying ahead of Ruapehu who emphatically defended the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield with a 50-0 thumping of Counties in Ohakune.

With three games left to go until the competition splits into its championship and consolation grades on June 21, the Top 6 have begun to sort themselves out with Marton likely to be the remaining team with an outside chance of catching any of them.