That might be University done.
The students desperately needed a win against Kaikorai at the University Oval on Saturday to breathe some life into their campaign.
But some sluggish defence in the opening 40 minutes and a late intercept try has left their season teetering.
Kaikorai prevailed 48-38 and the Demons needed the win almost as badly as University.
Neither side will look back at its defensive effort with much pride. Kaikorai never found a way to stop dynamic outside back Jeremiah Asi. The left winger will be wondering what he did wrong to score four tries and still end up on the losing side.
His side started so brightly. University scored in the opening minute when Asi finished off in the corner after clinical play.
University then went to sleep on defence. Kaikorai scored five tries to lead 27-13 at the break.
No8 Semisi Tupou-Ta’eiloa barged his way through tackle after tackle and big prop Champ Betham produced a couple of goose steps in an exciting 40m run.
Kaikorai extended its lead with a penalty then a try to openside Jake Russ.
University roared back into the match with five tries. Asi added three more.
Kaikorai knocked over a couple of penalties in between falling off tackles.
With just a moments remaining, University mounted a bold bid to snatch the win.
The students looked on track too until Filipo Whitehouse-Opetaia Tovio nabbed an intercept and scored.
Taieri 50 Green Island 14
See last week’s match report. Honestly, the Eels were just clinical again.
Ruthless on defence. Ruthless in the strike zone. Just ruthless.
Taieri’s 50-14 demolition of Green Island at Miller Park was its sixth consecutive four-try, bonus-point win.
The Eels have a perfect 30 points and look unbeatable at the moment .
It is easy to forget, when you look at the ease with which Taieri brushed aside Green Island, it was these two sides that contested the final last year.
Taieri collected three trophies to go with its big win — the Bezett, Robb Cup and the Challenge Shield.
Centre Mitchell Scott bagged a couple of tries and was a standout performer. He manipulated the defence and exploited every chance that came his way.
First five Caleb Leef got a lot of front-foot ball and controlled the play nicely.
The loose forward trio of Jesse Hutton, Leroy Ferguson and Sam Fischli were dominant around the ruck.
Green Island showed a bit more heart in the second spell and enjoyed some good periods of play. But the Grizzlies trailed 24-0 after 30 minutes and there was no coming back.
Taieri front rower Cam Allan-McNeill scored the try of the game just before the break. He nabbed a turnover and set off on a 60m run, which has probably been rounded up to 80m in the retelling.
The first half of this game was a real contest with a plenty of movement, million-dollar offloads and an extremely high error rate.
Dunedin was the major culprit of the latter.
AU scored inside two minutes after a poor kick return from Dunedin .
Fullback Levi Emery returned it with interest and put a kick through for right winger Lotu Solomona to run on to and score out wide.
Dunedin started to establish dominance up front and, after two early penalties to first five Ajay Faleafaga, the Sharks finally held on to the ball.
After breaks by winger Joe Cooke and prop Rohan Wingham, big lock Ed Whyte strolled over for the seven-pointer to put Dunedin up 13-5 after 20 minutes.
AU first five Ben McCarthy kicked a penalty to reduce the gap but his backs spilled the ball on halfway and flying Dunedin winger Oscar Schmidt-Uili pounced and had too much pace and raced away.
AU got back into the game when flanker Keenan Rush made a break and fed No8 Ty Pelasio who had too much pace for the cover to get then within five but that was to be their last scoring act.
Faleafaga kicked his third penalty to put them by eight at the break.
The Dunedin forwards took control in the second spell. They proved their dominance from a rolling maul 7m out with lock Ed Whyte dotting down again and No8 Hame Toma went over from a 5m scrum to put AU away. Replacement winger Cam Burgess scampered away for the fifth try when put in the clear by fullback Tomas Hannam-Carter.
AU made too many basic handling errors in the second spell to be competitive and the Sharks made them pay.
For Dunedin, prop Rohan Wingham was powerful up front and the locks Konrad Lotu L’iga and Ed Whyte dominated the lineouts and were a force with ball in hand plus flanker Josh Retter was a dynamo in the loose.
For AU, No8 Ty Pelasio was the pick of the pack and Lotu Solomona looked dangerous out wide.
Southern 48 Zingari-Richmond 0
A strong all-round performance allowed Southern to celebrate the 100th premier game of one of its favourite sons in style with a commanding 48-0 win in the Eric Watson Memorial at Bathgate Park.
Mika Mafi has been pivotal to the Southern pack in recent years and on Saturday the No8 was again a menacing figure in the pack as it laid the platform for a decisive territorial advantage and created space for an enterprising backline.
Mafi was complemented by hard-working front-rowers Jay Tofaeono and Jake McEwan, while the imposing figure of Highlander Sam Caird loomed in broken play.
After each side battled for territory and possession, Southern first five Jack Leslie set winger Kiardyn Hatch up for the first of three tries he scored in a 10-minute period to break the game wide open.
Following the restart, Hatch displayed a blistering turn of pace to run in his second. Then, moments later, he caught a clearing high ball from fullback Mackenzie Haugh in space to sprint clear for his third.
Second five Henri Mitchell-Collie then got in on the act, scoring either side of the break to put the game out of reach for a Zingari-Richmond side outplayed, outgunned and outsmarted.
