Mount Maunganui showed they will be contenders when the semifinals of the Bayfair Baywide competition roll around but they were still no match for unbeaten Tauranga Sports on Saturday.
Tauranga's 28-13 win at Blake Park was a classic game of top flight club rugby, with both competitive teams in form and fired up for a classic battle of the bridge.
The difference on Saturday - as it has been all season long - is Tauranga are the masters of taking opportunities when they arise. The first example came after 16 minutes with their first major attacking raid into the Mount 22. Captain Carl Axtens and standout props Kane Haynes and Pingi Tala'apitaga drove powerfully from a tap penalty and, with front foot ball, first-five Paul Morris glided through a gap to score between the posts.
With extras from his boot, Tauranga were out to 10-0, which soon became 15-0, after Mount No8 Chris Elvin dropped a high ball and, after good work from halfback Josh Hall and livewire openside flanker Mitch Greenaway, winger Cameron Jeffries slid over in the corner.
Mount finished the first half strongly, with flanker Sam Gavigan and Elvin making bursts to fire their team. Quick ruck ball and fast hands from midfielders Zar Lawrence and Malakai Kasina put fullback Troye Elvin in at the corner.