Gamble pays off for Marlborough

Marlborough sprung the surprise in the second division at the weekend when they drew 13-13 with neighbours Nelson Bays.

Awarded a penalty with time almost up on the clock and trailing 6-13, Marlborough's gamble of attempting a converted try paid off, resulting in a meritorious draw with last year's beaten finalists and one of this year's second division favourites.

Hawkes Bay kept their perfect record intact with a punishing 35-18 win over Mid Canterbury in Ashburton, East Coast notched a deserved 29-12 win over Thames Valley in the mud at Waihi, and Wanganui climbed off the bottom of the table with a 37-27 home win over King Country.

Reserve back Gray Cornelius was the hero at Lansdowne Park in Blenheim when his sideline conversion sailed between the posts for the home side's unexpected draw with Nelson Bays.

This came after a storming forward surge that resulted in replacement back George Manu scoring a try.

East Coast continue to handle the transition from third to second division like old pros, playing the smarter wet-weather rugby to leave the Swamp Foxes wallowing in the mud.

Last year's third division winners sit handily placed in second spot on the table after four matches and just one loss.

Halfback John Bradbrook and first five-eighth Mano Flutey were the architects of East Coast's handy 17-point win, their deft tactical kicking in atrocious conditions setting up valuable field position.

Wanganui gained their first win of the season, 37-27, in a nine-try thriller with King Country.

The home side were in control until the final nine minutes when King Country ran in two quick tries to recover from a 24-point deficit and claim a consolation point by scoring four tries.

Wanganui scored five to also secure a bonus point.

In the third division, a second-half revival by Buller against Poverty Bay led to the tiny West Coast union carrying an unblemished record into the next round.

Buller are the only unbeaten team in the division after they turned around a 10-17 halftime deficit with an urgent second half to beat Poverty Bay 24-17 in Gisborne.

Horowhenua-Kapiti got their season back on track after a heavy loss to Buller in the first round with a convincing eight-try, 48-18 victory over West Coast in Levin.

In the third match of the weekend, South Canterbury pipped Wairarapa Bush 12-10 in a dour forward struggle in Timaru.

Poverty Bay went off the boil after two first-half tries while Buller upped the tempo with 14 unanswered points on the back of a solid forward try and four Len Renwick penalties.