Ruapehu win to set up tasty clash

WORKHORSE: After a big game at the Pa on Saturday, Marist flanker Ryan Gill has moved up to a share of the MVP season points lead with Border's Nick Harding. PHOTO/ SARAH LOURIE

A try by flanker Jamie Hughes in the final minute of play at Spriggens Park has saved McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu's season for another week as the men from under the mountain won a 25-18 thriller over Black Bull Liquor Pirates on Saturday.

Harkening back to the knife-edge Tasman Tanning Premier finals between the two sides in 2013-14, Ruapehu's win at the death keeps them six points behind Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau and retained the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield against a Pirates team with nothing to lose and everything to gain if they could have grasped the Shield with two rounds remaining to set themselves up with a tangible prize despite a disappointing season.

Ruapehu were thankful first-five Craig Clare recovered sufficiently from his quad strain in the Wednesday night representative match in Palmerston North, as his six successful penalties kept them in touch with Pirates - being deadlocked 15-15 late in the match and then 18-18 with time almost up.

Pirates had led 12-9 at halftime thanks to tries by fullback Tupu Tave and outside back Pene Ulukuta, with Tavae adding two second half penalties in the kicking duel with Clare.

The other standouts were Ruapehu No 8 Campbell Hart and Pirates prop Sanelle Ah Chong.

Ruapehu coming home strong now signals real trouble for Kaierau, who did not get a bonus point and were lucky to leave Memorial Park with a victory after squeaking by Utiku Old Boys 14-12.

Having won the Round 1 encounter 46-22, Kaierau were trailing 12-7 at halftime after Utiku scored tries through Matt Crawford and Archie Toseland, but snatched the only points of the second half with a converted try to pick up their second win in five games of Round 2.

Kaierau hooker Joe Edwards was the game MVP while teammate Kameli Kuruyabaki was a handful out wide, with Utiku's best being second-five Hepa Payne and prop Josh Brennan.

The results set up the season-defining match at the Country Club this coming Saturday where Kaierau will meet Ruapehu in a rematch of the 36-33 classic in Ohakune on May 7.

Both teams will be aware with Kaierau facing the dominant Waverley Harvesting Border in the last round, whereas Ruapehu have cellar-dwellers Harvey Round Motors Ratana, that baring miracles this weekend's game will decide who gets that coveted fourth spot for the semifinals.

Unlike Kaierau, Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist went a long way to securing their Top 4 status with a 70-5 hammering of a dispirited Ratana at the Pa.

Welcoming back several injured or unavailable players from the disappointing loss to Ruapehu, specifically their talisman playmaker Steelie Koro, Marist ran in 12 tries for the bonus and expand their points differential to lock in third place.

Back from suspension, Josaia Bogileka got a double, as did Matt Neilson and workhorse flanker Ryan Gill " whose MVP performance moved him up to join Border's Nick Harding, just returned from injury, at the top of the season lists.

Tryscoring prop Tom Nepia and winger Simon Dibben also had good games.

In the penultimate round of the Senior competition, Speirs Food Marton got some breathing space in second spot with a try right on fulltime taking them out to a 32-12 win over a disappointed Border at Waverley.

Below Marton, the battle for third and fourth on the table could not be split as Marist Celtic and Kelso Hunterville fought out a 18-18 draw on a day of thrillers at Spriggens Park.

Celtic were leading 8-3 at halftime and will keep third place on points differential.

Down in the dogfight for the remaining four playoff spots, Counties keep charging home at McNab Domain with a 71-0 hammering of Taihape, who could be seeing their season slipping away.

Counties leapfrogged Kaierau, sitting out the bye, and look set to finish fifth, while Ruapehu getting five automatic points for Ratana's default moved them up into a three-way tie from seventh to ninth on the table with one round until the quarterfinals.

In another noteworthy postscript, Marist Buffalo's finally won a match in their 11th attempt, beating Utiku Old Boys 22-20 in a desperate clash on the Racecourse, meaning Utiku will be the only side not to win a game on the field in the round robin.

Pirates decided discretion was the better part of valour and to forgo a massacre by defaulting to Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri - who have one more match with Kaierau before locking away the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield for an unbeaten run this season.

Next weekend, all four teams on the bubble of sixth to ninth - Kaierau, Border, Ruapehu and Taihape - will play teams in the Top 4, so one of them will miss out on the quarter-finals.