Taieri beat Green Island 29-24 in front of a big crowd at Peter Johnstone Park. It also gave the side the Bezett Trophy and Robb Cup. The win edged Taieri up to share the lead in the competition with Harbour. Green Island drops out of the top four. There are three rounds left to play.
Harbour got back to winning ways, although it had to work hard to beat Alhambra-Union 21-9 at North Ground.
University ran up a big 80-0 win over Zingari-Richmond, while Kaikorai came back in the second half to beat Dunedin 45-34 at Bishopscourt.
Taieri 29 Green Island 24
Green Island will rue a game of lost opportunities and a chance to secure a spot in the top four playoffs when it succumbed to Taieri 29-24 in an intense forward battle at Peter Johnstone Park.
A high work-rate from Taieri prop Kieran O'Sullivan helped seal Green Island's fate, with his powerful surging runs and tireless work at the breakdown. His presence in the Taieri pack proved an inspiring force for the home side against what appeared to be a Green Island pack that was their equal. Hooker Tom Hardy and locks Ben Morris and Don Lolo backed up the work of O'Sullivan. Another standout in the pack was that of No8 Sam Fischli.
Behind 17-12 at the break, Taieri called on its bench, with prop Brady Robertson adding strength to the front row while new Otago signing lock Louis Conradie, in his first appearance for his new side, along with Brodie Hume, were features of the second half forward exchanges.
The Taieri backs were well served by halfback Bob Martin and first five-eighth Josh Casey, while out wide Matt Whaanga bagged a brace of tries in a 10-minute scoring spree early in the second half which, in the final wash, sealed Green Island's fate.
After a three-week injury enforced break, No 8 Dylan Nel made an impressive return for Green Island, scoring in the opening minutes and bagging a brace for his side to take a lead into the break. Nel, along with lock Woody Kirkwood, dominated the lineout. Kirkwood and prop Sep Fa'agase proved a force around the field.
Harbour 21 Alhambra-Union 9
Harbour ground out a victory over a plucky Alhambra-Union side at the North Ground. The home team started well and had the better of the opening 20 minutes where it held on to the ball well and pressured the Harbour defence.
But it could not score a try, and Harbour went to the break ahead after a good carry from lock Joketani Koroi gave it the lead.
In the second half, Harbour continued to batter away and eventually the points came with tries to hooker Ray Niuia and outside back Mone Palu. But the defence from Alhambra-Union was consistent all day, and Harbour struggled to make inroads.
Alhambra-Union had some chances but could not get through as the size of the Harbour side eventually wore down the home team.
Highlander Tevita Li, who is off to play in Japan, played centre for Harbour and looked lively at times, while another Highlander, Dan Hollinshead, was in the midfield for Alhambra-Union.
Jacob Coughlan, who has missed the bulk of the season for Alhambra-Union after being in Spain and picking up a shoulder injury, was good in the loose, while the backs tackled well for Alhambra-Union. Koroi ran well for Harbour as it looked to get over the advantage line.
University 80 Zingari-Richmond 0
University paced it at a point a minute to run out convincing winners over Zingari-Richmond at the University of Otago Oval.
The students scored 11 tries - all converted - and Mike Williams nudged over a penalty early on as there was only one side in the contest.
The University side had all the power and pushed back the colours side at every scrum. Chris Bell tried hard at No8 for Zingari-Richmond, but he was in reverse gear all afternoon.
The colours tried hard and never threw in the towel, but as the game went on, the home team got more of the ball.
Its backs ran hard and if they were held up, the ball was simply recycled and University pressed again. It led 31-0 at the break and scored seven tries in the second half.
Fullback Taylor Haugh scored two tries and was lightning quick, while loose forwards Sam Dickson and Sean Withy were all over the park and got their hands on the ball.
Hooker Henry Bell ran hard and with some nice angles. Nine different players scored tries for University.
University has scored 210 points while conceding just 12 points in its last four games, so appears to peaking very nicely for the playoffs.
Lock Matt McCormick put in another diligent stint for the colours and Thomas Johnson and Shaun Driver worked hard in the backline. But in the modern game, playing without the ball for the best part of 80 minutes is hard work and little fun.
Kaikorai 45 Dunedin 34
Dunedin spent huge chunks of time camped deep in Kaikorai territory early, but only had three tries to show for it at the break.
It had a couple of tries disallowed rather harshly and the last was a penalty try, as the referee got frustrated with the constant infringing of Kaikorai as it was stretched on defence.
Dunedin scored early through its best back Izzy Duncanson, and then evergreen lock Richard Thompson got the second from a lineout drive.
Kaikorai only got into the Dunedin half once in the first spell, Slade McDowall getting it on the board when he skirted a ruck and crashed over.
The turning point was late in the spell when Dunedin had a three-man overlap and Kaikorai winger Jordan McEntee snaffled the intercept for what was effectively a 14-point try.
Instead of the Sharks being up by 20 at the break, Kaikorai were miraculously only down by seven.
Dunedin scored two early tries in the second spell to Kaikorai's one, but that was to be all they wrote apart from a George Witana penalty.
Conversely Kaikorai went on to score four more, with McDowall and McEntee both getting a brace.
Dunedin ran out of steam and Kaikorai took full advantage and finished clinically.
The Sharks were not helped by having four or five of their players in their second game of the day due to their lengthy injury list.
For Kaikorai, McDowall and first five Ben Miller were its best, and set up a lot of their play and were instrumental in a lot of their tries.
McEntee was the ultimate burglar out wide and tighties Sam Wyber and Petelo Sinamoni were always on hand to cart it up.
For Dunedin Duncanson and Zac Harrison Jones were dangerous out wide and Christian Keegan Goss was a rock in the midfield. Halfback Folau Fakatava and prop Teague McElroy were outstanding for Dunedin with their bustling aggression and punishing runs.