Bays had to work hard to subdue Marist, who led 17-8 at the break, with young first five Robbie McIntosh having a fine game and scoring 13 points. Doubles to Marty Swart and Jason Donnelly saw Bays regain the initiative, but it needed a late yellow card to evergreen Marist skipper Brett Rusk for them to seal the victory.
Northcote are at the top of the standings after a comfortable 45-8 win over Mahurangi. Northcote took a while to settle into their pattern, but once there played some good rugby in patches. Zach Clarke celebrated his blazer (40) game with a good game at lock. Man of the match went to hard-working loosehead prop Aston Pickens.
Two tries to veteran front-rower Adrian Smith helped Massey to a 29-6 win, and second place overall, over Kumeu.
North Shore needed a late penalty goal to the veteran Willie Walker to edge Glenfield 24-20.
Takapuna beat Silverdale 20-16 after trailing 16-0 at oranges. Wing Moses Leo showed \his finishing qualities for his brace, while Jon Elrick, as ever, supplied the extras. The match was played for the inaugural Michel Cargo Trophy and it was appropriate that Alasdair Cargo scored Silverdale's try. Matt Clark played his 100th game for Silverdale.
Auckland
East Tamaki 46 Grammar TEC 33
Manukau 24 Eden 18
Suburbs 41 Waitemata 24
College Rifles 49 Mt Wellington 18
Ponsonby 23 Marist 21
University 47 Otahuhu 8
Pakuranga 59 Waitakere City 0
East Tamaki will be kicking themselves that they lost to Otahuhu earlier in the season.
For if they had not dropped that south Auckland derby, they might have been sitting in the top eight after an extraordinary 46-33 upset win over Grammar TEC to close out the first round.
The home side engineered a free-wheeling second spell which overturned a 26-17 halftime deficit, but they fell just short of qualifying for the Gallaher Shield round.
An early intercept try to wing Joseph Minati set East Tamaki on their way, but some of the defence from both teams was porous. Grammar TEC halfback and captain Jono Hickey ran in a double, while right wing TJ Vaega, with his father To'a Vaega on hand to watch two of his boys, scored a hat-trick and set up Hickey for his second. Kitione Taimani on the other wing was carrying strongly, belying his size, and it appeared that Grammar TEC would be fine if they tightened up.
But East Tamaki were far from done, running in four tries in a blistering 15-minute second stanza period. Second five Wilson Silipa scored a brace, their big runners such as captain Laga Fa'asavalu, broke the gain line, and the seasoned Timoteo Iosua, off the bench, played field position to good effect. East Tamaki's defence got right in the visitors' faces and the errors mounted. Grammar TEC will have much to do to prove competitive in the top eight, while East Tamaki will wonder what might have been.
Elsewhere in Pool B, Ponsonby edged Marist 23-21, despite a double to Enoka Muliufi. Hooker Kurt Eklund scored two tries for University, who dispatched Otahuhu 47-8, and Pakuranga cleaned out Waitakere City 59-0.
In Pool A, Manukau Rovers pulled off the second upset of the round, their 24-18 win at Eden meaning they leapfrog Papatoetoe and Waitemata and clinch the last available berth for the top eight. Auckland loose forward Josh Kaifa scored a crucial double. But Eden will be celebrating their first top flight qualification since 1987 and will blow out 95 birthday candles next weekend at Gribblehirst Park.
College Rifles maintain their unbeaten record by convincingly defeating Mt Wellington 49-18, and Suburbs won their west Auckland derby, 41-24 over Waitemata, who miss the top tier for the first time in many years.
So the top eight for the Gallaher Shield round, which kicks off next Saturday, is University, College Rifles, Suburbs, Pakuranga, Ponsonby, Grammar TEC, Eden and Manukau. University and Eden did not contest the top eight in 2016. - Campbell Burnes
Counties Manukau
(McNamara Cup)
Ardmore-Marist 45 Papakura 0
Pukekohe 30 Manurewa 12
Bombay 27 Patumahoe 20
Karaka 80 Te Kauwhata 24
Waiuku 19 Onewhero 17
Counties Power Cup holders Bombay toppled Patumahoe with a 27-20 away victory.
Jonny Wilkinson scored all 20 of Patumahoe's points, while Bombay built on a 17-3 halftime lead, which included a penalty try.
Karaka stayed in fourth position but flexed their considerable muscle with an 80-24 victory over Te Kauwhata. Walter Fifita ran in four tries, while Raymond Fuilala recorded a double. Scott Allison kicked 18 points in twos.
Waiuku edged Onewhero 19-17 for their fifth win of the season, while Pukekohe also won their fifth game of 2017, a 30-12 effort over Manurewa. Steelers rep Joe Reynolds scored 15 points, including a try.
Ardmore-Marist are keeping the pressure on Bombay, Patumahoe and Karaka after a 45-0 blanking of Papakura. They have 12 bonus points, which is helpful to their cause.
Thames Valley
Mercury Bay 12 Cobras 10
Waihi Athletic 11 Hauraki North 5
Thames 13 Waihou 8
Coromandel 18 Paeroa West 16
Bay of Plenty
(Baywide premier)
Whakatane Marist 20 Poroporo 13
Te Puke Sports 25 Te Puna 17
Rotoiti 27 Whakarewarewa 14
Tauranga Sports 22 Paroa 10
Rangataua 23 Greerton Marist 15
Mt Maunganui 20 Arataki 8
Waikato
Fraser Tech 42 Te Awamutu Sports 24
Hamilton Old Boys 29 Southern United 24
Hautapu 19 Melville 17
Hamilton Marist 69 University 0
Otorohanga 27 United Matamata Sports 23
King Country
Taupo Sports A 60 Kio Kio 5
Taumarunui Eels 112 Taupo Sports B 0
Piopio 44 Bush United 0
Waitete 39 Taupo United 17
Waitomo 17 Tongariro 12
East Coast
TVC 27 Hicks Bay 10
Waiapu 30 Uawa 22
Ruatoria City 22 Tokomaru United 15
Poverty Bay
Ngatapa 12 Wairoa Athletic 0
HSOB 57 Pirates 22
Waikohu 17 YMP 8
Hawke's Bay
(Tui Maddison Trophy)
Napier Tech 21 Taradale 10
Napier Old Boys-Marist 88 MAC 7
Clive 28 Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 25
Havelock North 46 Tamatea 24
Hastings Rugby and Sports 37 Central 22
Taranaki
Spotswood 35 Clifton 8
Tukapa 37 Stratford-Eltham 10
NPOB 24 Coastal 22
Southern 22 Inglewood 21
Wanganui
Marist 54 Utiku OB 7
Border 36 Ruapehu 12
Taihape 45 Ratana 14
Pirates 38 Ngamatapouri 5
Manawatu
Varsity 21 Kia Toa 11
Te Kawau 55 Freyberg 5
College Old Boys 43 Freyberg 12
Old Boys-Marist 33 Feilding Old Boys-Oroua 21
Wairarapa-Bush
(Tui Cup)
Carterton 15 Pioneer 12
Martinborough 14 Greytown 13
Marist 18 Eketahuna 16
Gladstone 37 East Coast 20
Horowhenua Kapiti
Paraparaumu 8 Waikanae 7
Shannon 52 Rahui 7
Foxton 34 Wanderers 12
College Old Boys beat Athletic by default
Wellington
(Swindale Shield)
Poneke 70 Avalon Wolves 14
Old Boys-University 38 Hutt Old Boys-Marist 36
Petone 32 Johnsonville 5
Marist St Pat's 65 Paremata-Plimmerton 13
Northern United 23 Oriental-Rongotai 19
Tawa 37 Upper Hutt Rams 12
Wainuiomata 34 Wellington 11
Tasman
(Tasman Trophy)
Waimea Old Boys 27 Renwick 15
Stoke 18 Moutere 14
Marist 19 East Coast 17
Buller
(Life Members' Trophy)
Westport 55 Ngakawau-Karamea 10
West Coast
(New Forrest Trophy)
Kiwi 33 Blaketown 3
South Westland 26 Grey Valley 24
Wests 25 Marist 23
Canterbury
(Metro)
Sydenham 60 Marist-Albion 12
Christchurch 23 University 10
New Brighton 26 Shirley 19
Lincoln University 43 Belfast 0
Burnside 25 HSOB 8
Sumner 35 Linwood 13
(Canterbury Country/Mid Canterbury)
Quarter-finals:
Darfield 17 Oxford 16
Rakaia 20 Prebbleton 15
Southbridge 31 Waihora 25
Lincoln 19 Glenmark-Cheviot 15
Playoffs:
Saracens 16 Southern 5
Kaiapoi 28 Celtic 24
Burnham/Dunsandel/Irwell 27 Methven 24
West Melton 26 Hornby 3
Ohoka 23 Rolleston 0
South Canterbury
(Hamersley Cup)
Harlequins 35 Celtic 29
Pleasant Point 16 Geraldine 6
MacKenzie 36 Old Boys 10
Temuka 87 Waimate 5
North Otago
Old Boys 48 Kurow 32
Excelsior 32 Athletic Marist 21
Valley 32 Maheno 13
Otago
(Dunedin Metro)
Dunedin 24 Kaikorai 24
Alhambra-Union 38 University A 28
Southern 39 Taieri 20
Harbour 27 Green Island 20
(Central Otago)
Upper Clutha 17 Clyde-Earnscleugh 9
Arrowtown 41 Maniototo 29
Cromwell 65 Alexandra 20
Wakatipu 80 Matakanui Combined 0
(South Otago)
Toko 24 Lawrence 15
Clutha 64 Owaka 14
Heriot 59 Clinton 18
Clutha Valley 36 Crescent 14
Southland
Eastern-Northern Barbarians 24 Pirates-Old Boys 19
Star 32 Blues 12
Marist 27 Woodlands 10
