PUMP THE LEGS: Pirates try-scoring flanker Manulua Lafi keeps surging.
TASMAN Tanning Premier rugby partied like it was 2015 on Saturday afternoon as two traditional powerhouses got their groove back while two young sides not used to being in the championship hunt faltered under the pressure.
As well as McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu out-playing a flat Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist in Ohakune, Black Bull Liquor Pirates built on their good first-half showing in Waverley the previous weekend to out-run rivals Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 42-36 in the town derby at Spriggens Park.
While the revival has come too late for Pirates to defend their title, the home side would have relished in their six tries to five victory - having taken a 14 point lead into halftime and hanging on as the young Kaierau team came back at them.
Pirates props Tololi Moala and Sanelle Ah Chookon had big matches, No8 Lasa Ulukuta showed glimpses of the old form, and fullback Tupu Tavae took the goal kicks while also telegraphing Premier's first successful drop goal this season.
Kaierau's best were their double tryscoring prop Jack Yarrall and the lock Chris Harris, however with only one win from four games in the second round, they will now be feeling Ruapehu breathing down their neck, as they have scored 98 points in two games.
Two vital bonus points from Saturday leaves Kaierau level with Marist but still clear fourth on points differential, meaning they will desperately need a strong performance on their away game to Utiku Old Boys this weekend.
Utiku nearly caused a rumble of their own in the Memorial Park derby as PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape flirted with losing their second game in a row before prevailing 21-17, slipping back to clear second on the table without the bonus point.
An Emori Lodoviko try and two penalties by Willie Hands saw Utiku leading 11-7 at halftime, with Hands adding two more second half kicks to keep his side in touch of a famous boilover.
Led by flanker Timi Teepa, hooker Hadlee Hay-Horton and utility forward Todd Parkinson, Taihape scored two more second half tries, with winger Taylor Transom converting all three to get them home.
It means this Saturday's game at Dallison Park should ultimately decide who finishes top of the table and Waverley Harvesting Border is the only Top 4 team not showing any speed wobbles after another massacre of Harvey Round Motors Ratana - 89-0 in front of sad supporters at the Pa.
Centre Kavenui Dabonaise grabbed a double to move up to 15 tries for the year, while winger Tom Symes leapt rapidly up to second overall on the Premier list with his hat trick taking him to 12.
While the team has been missing the season's top points scorer and MVP leader Nick Harding, the other backs lined up for their own slice of the cake at the Pa with Isaiah Hooper and Grayson Tihema scoring doubles, Tihema also adding six conversions, while even veteran forward Andrew Rettalick popped over a kick.
With just two rounds left in the Senior competition, Counties picked up their second vital victory in two weeks as they held off Border 27-20 at Kaiwhaiki - leap-frogging them into sixth place and getting distance from ninth-placed Ruapehu in the scramble to make the quarter-finals.
On a weekend where everybody was supposed to play as it was the turn of the withdrawn Ratana to have the bye, the late season lag has struck as Pirates defaulted to Kelso Hunterville while the Marist Buffalo's gave up their game to Ruapehu as the entire club was dealing with injury and unavailability.
It means Ruapehu will earn 10 points in two weeks without playing as they have Ratana next weekend, giving them an outside shot at finishing in eighth place.
Hunterville stayed fourth although not being able to score points on the field means they sit behind Celtic, who shook off last weekend's hammering by Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri to pick up an important 53-3 away win over Utiku Old Boys.
Kaierau's late season misery continued as Speirs Food Marton signalled they are the true No2 team in the grade with a 55-5 win at Marton Park, although Kaierau still clung onto fifth because of losses by the teams underneath them.
But for whom the bell tolls this weekend was Taihape, taking their turn to meet the Ngamatapouri juggernaut at Memorial Park and were summarily executed 69-7 in the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield defence, the Shield looking like it will be staying in South Taranaki for the summer.
Ngamatapouri cannot be caught on top of the table and will be setting their sights on an undefeated year, while Taihape tumbled from sixth to eighth.
One Senior team from those currently ranked fifth to ninth will miss the playoffs and all have tough games to finish the regular season.