Defending premier champions Ruapehu made it two from two on their visit to Marton at the weekend, largely thanks to a powerful performance from their big forward pack.
Despite not having the services of Heartland skipper Peter Rowe, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, Ruapehu's pack had enough muscle to lay a solid platform and wear their plucky opponents down.
Try-scoring hooker Roman Tutauha and No8 Jason Hughes rode the big men's supremacy to power over.
But twice Marton came back from 10-point deficits through the barnstorming runs of second-five Lote Tauailoto - the one player who had physical parity with Ruapehu's strongest - as well as Ruapehu having some noticeably different interpretations at ruck and maul time with referee Gordon Ririnui.
New Marton first-five Taukiri Manawatu, who hails from the province of his surname, also distributed and defended well although he rued a dropped ball with the goalline begging in his side's second half comeback.
His team did not help their cause with some poor handling at crucial times, while missed lineout throws proved costly.
Fears of a blowout came early as Ruapehu prop Kim McNaught was driven over beside the corner post. Then on the opposite touchline halfback Te Maire Hawira pounced when Marton made a mess of a chip kick in-goal.
But the home side struck back when a penalty from a Ruapehu infringement was followed by a brilliant toe-and-chase from centre Moli Sagapolutere to score between the posts.
Ruapehu regained their composure and from a free kick forced their way to the line with Tutauha going low under the posts.
Losing their own lineout ball cost Marton a penalty in kicking range for the visitors to reassert themselves by halftime.
But despite the battering in the forwards and fumbled ball, the hosts were far from a spent force another Tauailoto burst through the middle stretched Ruapehu and busy halfback Tyler Rogers-Holden dived over from the ruck.
Tauailoto continued to be a nightmare for Ruapehu's backline but Marton could not further capitalise on his scything bursts.
The telling blow came from a comedy of errors as another chip kick was dropped but Ruapehu's chasers all but threw it away before reserve Tautahi Rawiri claimed the five-pointer.
Rawiri then added a penalty before Hughes wrapped it up with another forwards try.
Coach Chris Winter said Marton's comebacks showed their fitness needed work, although he always expected them to be a tough matchup at home.
Regarding the penalty count, they would work on maintaining discipline, he said.
"No doubt it will change each week, dealing with it."
Marton coach Cornel Mason was fairly happy with his new team's efforts, singling out Manawatu and Tauailoto.
He was confident he could drill the handling errors out of them.
"In terms of our lineouts we were away, and those dropped balls. These are things we can build on - you can't afford it at premier level."
Score
McCarthy's Ruapehu 33 (Jason Hughes, Kim McNaught, Te Maire Hawira, Roman Tutauha, Tautahi Rawiri tries, Rawiri pen, Zyron Hekenui pen, con), Marton 15 (Moli Sagapolutere, Tyler Rogers-Holden tries, Jake Karaynidis pen, con). Ht: 20-10.