Play-off chances hinge on next game

Wanganui hooker Cole Baldwin and his team must give it everything in Te Kuiti this weekend if they are to make the Lochore Cup semifinals. PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER

Buller are now untouchable at the top of the Pink Batts Heartland Championship table as their extraordinary undefeated run continued with a 29-24 win over West Coast in Westport on Saturday.

While the provincial neighbours may have been at opposite ends of the table, Buller would have been under no illusions about an easy game, as the match was also for New Zealand's oldest challenge trophy in the Rundle Cup.

Both team's scored four tries, with Tai Ratu (Buller) and Rowan O'Gorman (West Coast) getting a double respectively, while James Lash had a better day with the boot to see Buller home for the win.

Poverty Bay also confirmed they are safe for the Meads Cup play-offs, but it remains to be seen where and who they will face, after emerging with a 17-9 win over Thames Valley in Paeroa.

Thames Valley's loss gives Wanganui an outside chance of a Lochore Cup play-off berth as they will travel to Te Kuiti to face King Country this Saturday, while Thames Valley must head to Greymouth to face a competitive West Coast.

Wanganui's bonus-point win over Wairarapa Bush at least temporarily moves them into eighth spot, ahead of North Otago on for-and-against plus the fact Wanganui beat them on September 6.

North Otago lost to a resurgent Mid Canterbury 28-7 in Ashburton on Saturday.

However, the southerners have a virtual lock on five competition points next week as they will play East Coast at home in Oamaru, after East Coast's season of misery continued with a 34-7 loss at home in Ruatoria to King Country.

Horowhenua-Kapiti continued their outstanding season and jumped into the third Meads Cup play-off position after they beat South Canterbury 23-11 in Levin on Saturday.

It sets up a virtual quarter final weekend this coming Saturday, as Poverty Bay hosts Horowhenua-Kapiti in Gisborne, while locked together in 4th-5th on the table, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury have a local derby in Timaru.