Kaikorai 69
Harbour 15
No-one saw that coming.
Kaikorai smoked Harbour by 54 points at Watson Park.
The Hawks were missing talented first five Rique Miln, but this was a blowout.
Everything the visitors touched turned to gold. And the Hawks, well, the report card might read must try harder, which we all know is code for they were rubbish.
They previously set the benchmark, but there is a new form team in town.
Kaikorai have emerged from a slow start to post three consecutive wins and charge up the competition standings.
Their captain, Lucas Casey, has taken his game to a new level this season.
He was dominant in the lineout; he tackled hard and ran harder.
Kaikorai played an expansive brand of rugby and ran the big Harbour pack off their feet.
That style suited Casey, who loves to pop up in the wide channels and cause trouble.
Fellow loose forward Slade McDowall had a busy shift as well. He stuck close to the ball and experienced first five Ben Miller had a strong tactical kicking game.
Lock Sidney Fidow earned an honourable mention for another solid performance.
Harbour had size but lacked finesse and struggled to crack Kaikorai’s unflinching defence.
Kaikorai led 42-10 at halftime, so the contest was basically over.
Former All Black Waisake Naholo scored a late consolation try for Harbour.
— Adrian Seconi
University 61
Alhambra-Union 19
University got back into the winner’s circle with a healthy result against Alhambra-Union at the North Ground.
The Broncos’ contribution to the first 15 minutes of the game was to miss a series of tackles, cough up possession and concede 28 points.
It was all too easy.
The Thode twins — Oliver and William — both crossed for five-pointers to cut the gap.
Oliver dived over untouched from close to the ruck, and William nabbed an intercept and ran 90m. He was chased hard all the way by Rico Muliaina.
AU hung tough during the early stages of the second half but faded and conceded a bunch of tries in the final quarter of the game.
University hooker Oliver Hatch grabbed a brace of tries and winger Jeremiah Asi also crossed twice.
First five Mika Muliaina impressed with his stewardship. He weaved through gaps and his place kicking was almost flawless.
University captain Lanson Randell punched holes in the defence with his direct approach and led the forward effort.
The Thode twins put in a decent performance in a losing effort, and tighthead Benjamin Latu made some tough metres up front.
But AU were outgunned and slumped to another heavy defeat. They have given up nearly 400 points in six games.
— Adrian Seconi
Green Island 34
Zingari-Richmond 21
First five Liam Barron posted 14 points to help Green Island bank a valuable bonus-point win over Zingari-Richmond in a free-flowing Hellyer Memorial clash at Miller Park.
Green Island have been pummelled by injuries but they played to their strengths.
They strung together some superb backline moves that kept the ball away from a threatening Zingari pack.
Barron’s decision-making and eye for the gap played a big part in centre Riley Lucas scoring a brace and fullback Sam Nemec-Vial and winger Nico Bowering also both dotting down.
But as much as the Green Island backline remained a constant threat, it was the Zingari forwards who dominated up front, powered by a high workrate from hooker Tino Solanoa and lock Ratu Latus.
Those two combined for a sensational try from 80m when Zingari were reduced to 14 men for the final 10 minutes and Green Island were hot on attack.
Latus broke free from a breakdown and ran 50m before offloading to the ever-present Solanoa to score his second try of the game.
Zingari often found space and threatened the Green Island line, only to let themselves down with handling and discipline.
Barron directed play well off the back of some excellent service from the space created by Amos Roddick and Richard Buchanan.
He also created opportunities for midfielders Brad McPhate and Riley Lucas.
— Wayne Parsons
Dunedin 18
Southern 16
Dunedin started the game of the round well and their exceptional phase play paid off as they drove into the Southern 22m and Max Webb crashed over the opening try.
Southern worked their way back into the game and found holes in the Dunedin midfield, but they blew two gilt-edged opportunities with sloppy passing.
Wyndham Patuawa kicked a couple of penalties, and No 8 Konrad Toleafoa galloped through another hole in the Dunedin midfield to put winger Lotu Solomon over out wide, the conversion giving Southern a handy 13-5 lead late in the half.
Dunedin first five Cam Burgess returned the favour either side of halftime, kicking two penalties of his own to reduce the lead to two with 34 minutes to play.
The Dunedin pack controlled much of that period as they pounded away at the Southern line.
The Magpies defence repelled wave after wave. They held the Dunedin pack up over the line, and Dunedin flanker Jarius Losefa lost the ball over the line in the tackle.
Inexplicably, Dunedin turned two kickable penalties in that period, and with time running out, it looked like Southern would hold on to the slender lead.
But a poor clearance kick landed in the hands of fullback Webb, who immediately spread the ball wide. It ended up in the hands of veteran centre Gene Te Amo, and he went in and out on the defence to score in the corner, and the Burgess conversion gave Dunedin a three-point lead with three minutes to go.
The drama was not done as Southern forced a penalty 35m out but Patuawa put it wide and the thriller was over.
Lock Curtis Palmer and No 8 Louis Lepionka were standouts in the Dunedin pack. Midfielder Joe Cooke was powerful with ball in hand and fullback Webb attacked the line with gusto.
For Southern, lock Aron Einnarson and flanker Dylan Petaia led a strong defensive effort. Halfback Wilson Driver was into everything and Solomona looked promising out wide.
— Paul Dwyer
Round 7
The scores
Kaikorai 69 (Sydney Fidow 2, Slade McDowall 2, Ben Miller, Rota Lafita, Gregor Rutledge, Lucas Casey, Rico Fisher, Jake Fowler tries, penalty try; Miller 6 con).
Harbour 15 (Gabriel Francesconi, Daniel Muasika, Waisake Naholo tries). Halftime: Kaikorai 42-10.
Dunedin 18 (Max Webb, Gene Te Amo tries; Cam Burgess con, 2 pen).
Southern 16 (Lotu Solomona try; Wyndham Patuawa con, 3 pen). Halftime: Southern 13-8.
University 61 (Jeremiah Asi 2, Oliver Hatch 2, Lanson Randell, Matt Brock, Jack Saunders, Charles Engelbrecht, Mac Harris tries; Mika Muliaina 8 con).
Alhambra-Union 19 (Oliver Thode, William Thode, Joshua Taylor tries; William Thode 2 con). Halftime: University 35-12.
Green Island 34 (Riley Lucas 2, Sam Nemec-Vial, Nico Bowering tries; Liam Barron 4 con, 2 pen).
Zingari-Richmond 21 (Tino Salanoa 2, Ciaran Jansen tries; Jerome Buckley-Fa’atoia 3 con). Halftime: Green Island 21-7.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | B | Pts | |
| Taieri | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 215 | 110 | 5 | 25 |
| Green Island | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 243 | 179 | 6 | 22 |
| Kaikorai | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 242 | 156 | 4 | 20 |
| Dunedin | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 165 | 90 | 4 | 20 |
| Harbour | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 141 | 180 | 3 | 19 |
| Southern | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 207 | 146 | 6 | 18 |
| University | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 248 | 223 | 5 | 17 |
| Zingari-Richmond | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 172 | 258 | 3 | 7 |
| Alhambra Union | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 87 | 378 | 0 | 0 |
