Momentum swung throughout the contest, with East Coast leading 28-26 entering the last 10 minutes, in a game where they lost three men to the sin bin.
First five Terangi Fraser finished with an 18-point haul from a try, penalty, and all five conversions of their tries.
The win moved East Coast into the top four, with North Otago moving back to third, which opened the way for the undefeated Thames Valley to slot in behind South Canterbury after a tough 30-22 win over the in-form West Coast in Greymouth.
The visitors trailed 14-13 at halftime but pulled ahead and also denied the home team any bonus points, falling back to fifth place ahead of their trip to Whanganui.
Back home on the artificial turf of Memorial Park, Wairarapa Bush picked up their second narrow win over an eastern team, defeating Poverty Bay 30-24 after coming from 17-11 down at halftime.
Mid Canterbury hadn’t had a lot to smile about so far in their campaign, but that changed on Saturday with a comfortable 43-14 win over Horowhenua-Kāpiti in Ashburton, lifting them to within touching distance of the top eight.
Results, Week 3
Thames Valley beat West Coast 30-22. Halftime: 14-13 West Coast.
Mid Canterbury bt Horowhenua-Kāpiti 43-14. HT: 24-7.
East Coast bt North Otago 38-29. HT: 21-14.
South Canterbury bt Buller 56-0. HT: 21-0.
Wairarapa Bush bt Poverty Bay 30-24. HT: 17-11 Poverty Bay.
King Country bt Whanganui 23-17. HT: 13-10.
Around the grounds
MEN’S NPC
The Manawatū Turbos, with Whanganui expats Brett Cameron and Te Rangatira Waitokia, scored their first NPC win since October 2021 after a try right on fulltime sunk Northland 31-30 in Palmerston North last Friday.
Cameron kicked two conversions. Then on Wednesday, Whanganui Collegiate First XV alumnus Waqa Nalaga made his starting debut, scoring a try and setting up another, as the Turbos beat Auckland 33-31 for the first time since 1981.
Taranaki, with the Whanganui expat combination of Stephen Perofeta and Adam Lennox in the halves, could not overcome Bay of Plenty, losing 29-26 in New Plymouth on Saturday despite Perofeta scoring a try and kicking three conversions. Otago, with Jona Nareki on the wing, had to work hard to win their derby with Southland 31-21 in Dunedin.
WOMEN’S NPC
The Farah Palmer Cup Championship semifinalist to face the Manawatū Cyclones and their contingent of Whanganui players was confirmed on Sunday, as the Tasman Mako defeated the Taranaki Whio and their Whanganui player Hayley Gabriel 45-20 in the quarter-final in Nelson. The semifinal will be on Saturday in Palmerston North.
JUNIORS
The annual Bulls Junior Rugby Tournament hosted dozens of teams from Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Whanganui and Taranaki on Saturday. The 10-a-side competition is for the Under-8 to Under-13 grades. The youngsters of the Marton Rugby and Sports Club did the colours proud by winning the Under-8 title, beating Palmerston North’s High School Old Boys in the final. The Kaierau Under-9s came runners-up in their grade to Feilding Yellows. The Whanganui Marist Under-12s fought their way to the final but finished runner-ups to a strong Feilding Yellows side.
