CLUB RUGBY: Loss still leaves Hora Hora sitting pretty

Hora Hora has slipped from second to third rung on Northland's Southern Districts premier rugby points ladder after their 20-26 loss to Hikurangi.
However, Hora Hora's 63 points - behind competition leader Mid Western on 73 and Mid Northern on 64 - will keep it in the top four teams whatever the outcome of the two games remaining in the round-robin series.
Mid Western continued its winning ways with a 30-nil victory over the Western Sharks on Saturday, when Mid Northern beat Marist 34-nil.
Kamo also cemented its claim for a top-four playoff spot when it crushed Wellsford 53-10, stopping the rot that had caused Kamo to take a couple of drubbings over the previous fortnight.
The win put Kamo up to 48 points on the competition table, just out of reach of Wellsford and the Western Sharks, both now on 35, even if they win their next two games with bonus points.
Meanwhile, Otamatea could be close to ending its long spell in the cellar. It beat Old Boys 21-12 in Whangarei on Saturday - its second win this season after 14 consecutive losses - and it could wrap up Marist at Maungaturoto this weekend. Three wins would push Otamatea into second from bottom on the points table, providing Old Boys succumb to Hora Hora next Saturday.
Hikurangi coach Hector Davies said his team got off to a good start against Hora Hora, playing with the wind, and classy fullback Whiria Meltzer scored tries in the fifth and 12th minutes, one of them converted by Henry Foy. In the 26th minute, winger Reece Le Vavasour scored after the ball had been through more than a dozen sets of Hikurangi hands. Soon after Hora Hora touched down and the score was 19-5 at the break.
Hora Hora came back hard in the second half, scoring two tries within 12 minutes, which, with one conversion, took the score to 19-17.
Midway through the half Hora Hora landed a penalty to take the lead 20-19. The game became a forward slog when Hikurangi flanker Matt White scored after a kick was charged down and Foy converted. Hora Hora tried hard to bridge the gap, but Hikurangi held them out until fulltime.
Both Kamo and Wellsford were affected by player losses to the Northland squad and injury absences, some Wellsford players putting in 80 minutes in the reserves' match before turning out for the premier team.
Kamo achieved forward dominance and after captain and hooker Scott Linklater scored the first of his two tries and first-five Tyler Lansdown converted there appeared little Wellsford could do to restrain the rival scoreline.
Lansdown, Aaran MacPherson, Steven Morris, Steve Baker, Hunia Kingi and Calib McDonald also scored, with Lansdown adding conversion points.
Wellsford got three points on the board early in the game through a penalty kicked by Ian Neal. Near the end, centre Dylan Rangi salvaged Wellsford pride with a try, which Neal converted.
Mid Western play Hikurangi this Saturday, when Mid Northern play Wellsford, Kamo face Western Sharks, Hora Hora play Old Boys and Otamatea battle it out with Marist.
Southern Districts Premier Reserve
Western Sharks 27 Mid Western 7, Hikurangi 27 Hora Hora 16, Kamo 52 Wellsford 10, Old Boys 33 Otamatea 22, Mid Northern 52 Marist 3.