The final round robin of Wanganui club rugby for 2013 ended up being an absolute cracker with both stunning upsets and controversy across the senior grades.
In the Senior competition, it appeared Taihape had secured a fantastic win on a great day for the club when they upended the unstoppable Hunterville 31-17.
Leading 31-7 late in the piece, Taihape saw off Hunterville's late comeback to seemingly earn a semifinal berth and lift the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield for the summer.
However, less than 24 hours later it had all come to nothing as the competition points were stripped and the Shield returned to Hunterville following an inquiry over an unregistered player.
"He was a former Taihape player but currently registered with Manawatu," said club liaison officer JB Phillips. "[The Shield] will go to Hunterville for the rest of the season and they get $200 for that."
It also means that despite their 29-19 loss to Counties on Saturday, Celtic sneak into the Top 4 by a point.
Coming from dead last in Premier at the start of Round Two, Marist signalled a renaissance for their beleaguered supporters with the Premier boilover of the year at Spriggens Park, downing second placed Border 35-15.
The Waverley team were without leading points scorer Mark Davis while standouts Fraser Middleton, Lindsay Horrocks and Sam Madams were on the bench, but that takes little gloss from the home team.
It was only the second victory by a Premier bottom five side against a semifinal team this year after Kaierau downed Pirates in Round One, but this was a far more impressive effort as Marist scored 20 unanswered points in the second half.
Winger Kent Rivers got two tries while Richard Smith, Ethan Bailey and Grayson Tihema added five pointers.
Wanganui winger Sailosi Naqiso scored both of Border's tries before halftime.
The only result that could have matched this in magnitude was if Ratana managed the impossible and took down the undefeated Ruapehu in fortress Ohakune. And late in the match that seemed a real possibility as Ruapehu held the slightest advantage at 22-19 on a day they were given a real fright by their visitors second half comeback.
A seven pointer at the death whisked the minor premiers and Grand Hotel Challenge Shield holders away.
Chris Winter, Sonny Wood-mass, Owen King, and Tama Nahona scored for the home team while Vaan Rauhina, Te Tua Kemp and Alan Penetito got Ratana's tries.
In the key matchup at the Country Club, Marton ended up wondering what might have been for season 2013 as they just elbowed past Kaierau 18-11, which by that stage left them just a point short of Taihape in fourth spot.
Both teams were deadlocked 11-11 late in the piece, which was of great interest across the district at Memorial Park where Taihape were withstanding an Utiku OB comeback.
Two penalties by Soonalote Tauailoto took Marton clear in the dying minutes, but no bonus point meant Taihape could not be challenged for their spot.
Therefore unsurprisingly, Kaierau were content to merely default their June 22 catchup game with Taihape yesterday, preferring to focus on the consolation semifinal against Marist this Saturday.
In the Senior consolation round, Kaierau secured top spot from Marton by beating them 22-14 at the Country Club, which was further accentuated by Hunterville deciding to default the June 22 catchup game, with both clubs safe at the top of their respective Senior tables.
Results, July 27
Tasman Tanning Premier (Week 18)
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 35 (Kent Rivers 2, Richard Smith, Ethan Bailey Grayson Tihema tries, Tihema 2 pen, con, Mohi Waihi con) bt Waverley Harvesting Border 15 (Sailosi Naqiso 2 tries, Anaru Haerewa pen, con). HT: 15-all.
Marton 18 (Tyler Rogers-Holden, Soonalote Tauailoto tries, Tauailoto 2 pen, con) bt Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 11 (Joel Martin try, Ace Malo pen, Rhys Wylie pen). HT: 5-3 Kaierau.
Taihape 21 (Rimu Wipaki, Marcus Tottman tries, Luke Whale 3 pen, con) bt Utiku OB 12 (Brad Anderson, Nick Bodley tries, Te Rangi Tapu McLeod con). HT: 18-0.
Grand Hotel Challenge Shield McCarthy's Ruapehu 29 (Chris Winter, Sonny Woodmass, Owen King, Tama Nahona tries, Tauwhiti Rawiri 2 con, Zyron Hekenui pen, con) bt Harvey Round Motors Ratana 19 (Vaan Rauhina, Te Tua Kemp, Alan Penetito tries, Kemp 2 con). HT: 19-7.
Bye: Integrity Motors Pirates.
June 22 catch-up game at Taihape: Taihape beat Kaierau by default.
Grand Irish Bar Premier MVP Points, Week 18
At Spriggens Park: Kent Rivers (Marist winger) 3 points, Sailosi Naqiso (Border winger) 2, Richard Smith (Marist prop) 1.
At Kaierau Country Club: Tyler Rogers-Holden (Marton halfback) 3, Stu Brosnahan (Kaierau winger) 2, Chris Rayner (Marton flanker) 1 pt.
At Taihape: Ritchie Irons (Taihape prop) 3, Josh Brennan (Utiku OB lock-prop) 2, Jeremy Gilbert (Taihape second five) 1.
At Ohakune: Peter Rowe (Ruapehu flanker) 3, Charlie Mete (Ratana No 8) 2, Sonny Woodmass (Ruapehu lock) 1.
Final MVP Points: Lasa Ulukuta (Pirates) 25 points, Fraser Middleton (Border) 19, Peter Rowe (Ruapehu) 12, Faamanu Manutuhiha (Marton), Isaac Fonotoe (Ratana), Jason Hughes (Ruapehu) 9, Ace Malo (Kaierau), Nick Cranston (Ruapehu), Mark Davis and Sailosi Naqiso (Border) 8, Shaun Hawira (Ruapehu), Sam Madams (Border), Ihaia Tai and Vaan Rauhina (Ratana), Denning Tyrell (Pirates), Soonalote Tauailoto (Marton) 7.
Senior Championship, Week 16
At Racecourse: Counties bt Celtic 29-19. HT: 16-7 Celtic.
At Taihape (Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield): Taihape lose on technicality to Power Farming (PN) Hunterville. Score: 31-17. HT: 17-0 Taihape. Taihape played an unregistered Wanganui player.
At Ohakune: Ruapehu beat Trans Pacific Pirates by default.
Consolation, Round 16
At Spriggens Park: St John's Tech bt Marist 27-14. HT: 12-7.
At Kaierau Country Club: Kaierau bt Marton 22-14. HT: 14-12 Marton. At Taihape: Utiku OB bt Border 17-10. HT: 7-5. June 22 senior catch-up game: Kaierau beat Hunterville by default.