Though Massey have a big lead, the rest of the table is remarkably congested. Between the second and eighth sides there are only four points, with Glenfield and Takapuna producing the weekend's other significant results. Glenfield upset Northcote 27-17 and Takapuna looked more the force of old with an 87-7 win over Mahurangi. Former Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Chiefs and Japan five-eighths Murray Williams scored three of Takapuna's 13 tries.
Silverdale were another with a big win, 62-8 over Marist.
Results
Massey 25 North Shore 16
Takapuna 87 Mahurangi 7
Silverdale 62 Marist 8
Glenfield 27 Northcote 17
Western Pioneers 15 East Coast Bays 10
Auckland
Ofa Tu'ungafasi relished 80 minutes of game time to be a key factor in Grammar-TEC's ultimately decisive 29-12 victory at Orakei Domain over Ponsonby in Good Friday Auckland premier club rugby action.
The Blues prop scored two tries and was used to set up a lot of his side's play. Though he was occasionally too high in contact, Tu'ungafasi was still able to use his strength to good effect and generally cause trouble in the Ponies' defence.
And yet at halftime in blustery conditions but on a top surface given the cyclonic conditions of 24 hours beforehand, it was a 12-all stalemate. The accurate boot of Michael Stanley was keeping the visitors in the match, but Grammar-TEC was seeking to move the ball at pace and always on the lookout to counter-attack.
Tu'ungafasi's first try came off a charge from the scrum by Nili Moala. The big loosehead bookend was able to wrestle his way over. Left wing Kitione Taimani scored the second after some flypaper hands from a counter-attack, and Ponies wing Pryor Collier was binned for a high shot while Taimani was in the act of scoring.
In the second stanza, the home forwards got the bit between the teeth, the likes of openside flanker Johan van der Poel, lock and captain Scott Scrafton and hooker Liam Polwart more accurate and physical at the breakdown. There was time for a remarkable 55m run by tighthead prop Andrew Makali, while halfback Filimone Moala scored the day's bonus and best try off a counter-attack started by Taimani.
Simon Hickey was on hand and had originally been flagged to play for Grammar-TEC, but a niggly groin put paid to an appearance from the Blues pivot. Both sides were missing two players each to the New Zealand Under 20 trials.
Elsewhere, University continued on its merry way, dispatching previously unbeaten Otahuhu 43-0. The students and Pakuranga are now the only unbeaten sides out of 15 after four rounds.
East Tamaki pulled off its first victory of 2014, a 22-7 result over Waitakere City. Suburbs tipped over Marist 26-15 in a niggly affair, which featured several yellow cards, while Papatoetoe edged Manukau Rovers 22-15 in a south Auckland derby. Waitemata beat Maungarua 38-12 and College Rifles were 38-13 victors over Eden.
This weekend's games will be played on Anzac Day, while Ponsonby, which has the bye, will clash with North Shore in the Eden Park curtainraiser to the Blues-Waratahs match.
Results
Grammar-TEC 29 Ponsonby 12
University 43 Otahuhu 0
Suburbs 26 Marist 15
Papatoetoe 22 Manukau 15
Waitemata 38 Maungarua 12
College Rifles 38 Eden 13
East Tamaki 22 Waitakere City 8
Counties Manukau
In the closest round of the competition to date, three games were decided by a point or less. With all senior clubs participating in an all in first round, the competition has seen a number of big scores each weekend. The only blow out score line in the weekend was Karaka's demolition of Te Kauwhata who have struggled to date giving up 443 points in the opening six games at an average of 74 points a game. Karaka's 95-0 romp including fifteen tries has pushed them six points clear at the top of the table.
Onewhero now find themselves in second spot on the table after their hard fought 17-16 victory over Waiuku. In what proved to be a tight battle from the onset, both teams slugged away in the opening half going into the break even at 10 all. Waiuku took the lead with two penalties before a try to Nathan Langsford which he successfully converted to give his team the lead, and ultimately the victory. Waiuku had chances in the closing stages of the game, but Onewhero hang on for a well-deserved victory.
Playing up at the hill, Bombay showed again the improvements they have made this season pushing Pukekohe all the way for a 25 all draw. Sitting equal in third spot on the points table, both teams managed two tries a piece in a game where the lead swapped hands a number of times. With Pukekohe leading late in the match and missing opportunities to close out the game, they will be disappointed letting in a Bombay try in the last play of the game to ensure the game would end in a draw.
In another close finish, Weymouth battled hard for deserved 6-5 victory over Drury. With Drury entering the game as favourites, Weymouth had other ideas relying on a solid defence effort to secure their victory.
In the other games of the round, Patumahoe overcame Manurewa 37-21 and Ardmore Marist had to work harder then expected in their 29-5 victory over Papakura.
Results
Karaka 95 Te Kauwhata 0
Onewhero 17 Waiuku 16
Weymouth 6 Drury 5
Patumahoe 37 Manurewa 21
Ardmore-Marist 29 Papakura 5
Bombay 25 Pukekohe 25
Bay of Plenty
Whakarewarewa, continued their unbeaten start to the 2014 Baywide premier season, albeit by a razor thin margin when they beat Rangataua 27-16 on Easter Friday (18 April 2014) in Rotorua.
The Western Bay side served it up to the home team and led 8-6 early in the encounter, before the Rotorua heavyweights came back with two tries to lead 20-11 at half time. Rangataua piled on the pressure in the second spell with fullback Ross Taurima running in two touchdowns, however Whaka weathered the pressure, to dot the ball down again to scrape home 27-26. Whaka kicker John Ririnui scored a try and kicked five from five to finish the match with 17 points, with Chanse Perham and Daniel Ngawhika also dotting down the ball.
Te Puke Sports, took time off from their Jubilee celebrating over 100 years of rugby in Te Puke, to beat defending Baywide titleholders Tauranga Sports in the only premier match played on Easter Saturday. Tauranga Sports made the early running to lead by nine at the break, before Te Puke Sports rebounded in the second spell to post a hard fought 31-26 victory.
Te Puke Sports picked up a bonus point courtesy of four tries to David Whitecliffe-Davies, Elliot Hagen, Gideon Uelese and Sipa Moimoi. The visitors returned home with two points from four touchdowns awarded to Lewis Hancock, Kevin Harris, Phillip Togotogorua and Aifai Esera and a second bonus point for finishing within seven points. Te Puke also retained the Jordan Cup (Western Bay Challenge Trophy) that they took from Rangataua last weekend and will put in on the line on Easter Monday, against Te Puna at Maramatanga Park.
Greerton Marist caused the first upset of the Easter weekend premier doubleheaders, when they defeated Rotoiti 20-15, at the cauldron of Emery Park on the shores of Lake Rotoiti. Mount Maunganui hung on to defeat Te Puna 25-23 under lights at Maramatanga Park on Thursday evening, with Opotiki running in four touchdowns on the way to defeating Rangiuru 24-8.
Results
Mount Maunganui 25 Te Puna 23
Whakarewarewa 28 Rangataua 27
Opotiki 24 Rangiuru 8
Te Puke Sports 31 Tauranga Sports 26
Greerton Marist 20 Rotoiti 15
Mount Maunganui 24 Greerton 13
Tauranga Sports 24 Whakarewarewa 17
Rotoiti 25 Opotiki 20
Te Puke Sports 21 Te Puna 15
Rangataua 42 Rangiuru 17
Waikato
University continue to lead the Waikato club competition after the completion of round 6 matches on the weekend.
On their home ground, after trailing Hamilton Marist 16-5 at halftime, University played much better in the second half with the wind behind them and got up to win the match 26-24, outscoring their opponents four tries to two.
Otorohanga, the other unbeaten side, beat Morrinsville Sports 24-0 at Campbell Park. Played on a heavy, slippery surface, the match was a ho-hum affair with the home side doing enough to win without being extended.
After an entertainng match at Mill St in which both sides endeavoured to move the ball wide at every opportunity, Fraser-Tech beat Melvile 35-26, the hosts outscoring their visitors five tries to four, and with new coach Phil Herewini in charge, Hautapu recorded their first win of the season, outscoring Te Awamutu Sports 16-10 at Memorial Park.
Last Thursday evening Hamilton Old Boys played Te Rapa under lights at Willoughby Park, scoring nine tries on the way to a 59-0 victory.
University 26 Hamilton Marist 24
Otorohanga 24 Morrinsville Sports 0
Hamilton Old Boys 59 Te Rapa 0
Fraser-Tech 35 Melville 26
Hautapu 16 Te Awamutu Sports 10
OTHER RESULTS
Northland
Hora Hora 59 Hikurangi 5
Mid-Western 20 Western Sharks 7
Old Boys-Marist 20 Otamatea 12
Waipu 37 Mid Northern 15
Wellsford 10 Kamo 8
Taranaki
Spotswood United 39 Southern 13
Coastal 24 NPOB15
Clifton 46 Tukapa 29
Inglewood 27 Stratford 21
Hawke's Bay
Hastings Rugby and Sports 33 Tamatea 10
Taradale 24 Central 10
MAC 26 Napier Old Boys-Marist 18
Havelock North 30 Clive 7
Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 29 Napier Technical 17
Manawatu
College Old Boys 71 Freyberg 0
Feilding 28 Feilding Old Boys-Oroua 17
Varsity 36 Te Kawau 18
Kia Toa 44 Linton Army 22
College Old Boys 32 Varsity 30
Kia Toa 28 Feilding 27
Te Kawau 20 Linton Army 10
Old Boys-Marist 39 Feilding Old Boys-Oroua 19
Wanganui
Border 34 Taihape 31
Utiku OB 24 Kaierau 10
Ruapehu 20 Marton 14
Pirates 41 Ratana 0
Wairarapa-Bush
Eketahuna 28 Gladstone 3
Pioneer 36 Martinborough 25
Marist 29 Carterton 23
Greytown 38 East Coast 15
Wellington
Marist St Pat's 30 Wainuiomata 30
Tawa 45 Wellington 22
Upper Hutt Rams 39 Oriental-Rongotai 29
Old Boys-University 24 Poneke 21
Hutt Old Boys-Marist 28 Johnsonville 23
Northern United 21 Petone 18
Marist-St Pat's 38 Hutt Old Boys-Marist 25
Tawa 36 Poneke 10
Upper Hutt Rams 38 Wellington 19
Northern United 29 Old Boys-University 28
Johnsonville 19 Oriental-Rongotai 16
Wainuiomata 41 Petone 34
Tasman
(Nelson Bays)
Marist 57 Stoke 16
Nelson 15 Kahurangi 10
Wanderers 17 Waimea 12
Canterbury
New Brighton 13 Shirley 0
Christchurch 75 Belfast 6
Lincoln University 33 Sydenham 22
Burnside 17 Linwood 15
Marist-Albion 34 HSOB 25
Sumner 11 University 0
North Canterbury/Ellesmere/Mid Canterbury combined
Kaiapoi 19 Oxford 7
Methven 10 Darfield 8
Southbridge 43 Prebbleton 6
Rakaia 59 Hampstead 0
Burnham/Dunsandel 15 Ohoka 5
West Melton 10 Southern 8
Lincoln 20 Waihora 11
Celtic 20 Glenmark 6
South Canterbury
Old Boys 13 Harlequins 6
Celtic 31 Temuka 10
Otago
(Dunedin)
Alhambra-Union 9 Dunedin 9
Harbour 28 Zingari-Richmond 19
Pirates 36 Green Island 17
Taieri 34 Kaikorai 7
Southern 24 University A 3
