The former New Zealand junior scored two of Zingari's three tries and played a key role in the lineout.
It took a dramatic comeback by University A in the second spell to beat Kaikorai 42-30 at the University Oval.
Taieri leads the Gallaway Trophy competition with 69 points and is followed by Southern 58, University A 50, Dunedin 49, Harbour 47, Alhambra-Union 41, Kaikorai 37, Zingari-Richmond 28, Green Island 6 and Pirates 6.
Zingari-Richmond 17
Southern 16
Zingari-Richmond caused a boilover with an aggressive display at Montecillo.
Southern led 16-5 at halftime but the score could have been closer if it had not been for the solid defence that kept Zingari out.
Key players in the Southern defence were No 8 Dan Baxter, locks Tim Ferguson and Ryan Thompson and hooker Ricky Riccitelli.
But the efforts in the first 40 minutes took their toll and Southern was not able to shut Zingari out in the second half.
After the break, Southern was rarely out of its own half as the Zingari forwards took charge and dominated the game.
Lock Joe Latta had an outstanding game . He dominated the lineout and his work in the tight put pressure on the Southern defence. He also scored two of Zingari's three tries. His second try, after 11 minutes in the second spell, came from a driving move after a lineout.
The other key players in the Zingari pack were fellow lock Tom Rowe and flanker Chris Bell. The best backs were second five-eighth Lachie Moore, with his strong running and solid defence, and winger Stephen Scoles.
It was Scoles who brought the Zingari supporters to their feet when he received the ball five minutes before fulltime and ran 30m to score under the bar. Shaun Driver's conversion gave Zingari a one-point lead that it held on to during a desperate last five minutes.
Zingari-Richmond 17 (Joe Latta 2, Stephen Scoles tries; Shaun Driver con), Southern 16 (Nathan Cargo try; Ben Mayer con, 3 pen). Halftime: Southern 16-5.
University A 42
Kaikorai 30
Captain Sam Sturgess inspired University A's comeback win in a classic game of two halves at the University Oval.
The students trailed 27-11 at halftime but out-scored Kaikorai 31-3 in the second half to gain maximum points.
University A scored six tries to three, but Kaikorai held the lead until 16 minutes from the end.
Sturgess was in irresistible form, scoring two tries in six minutes and marshalling his pack after an insipid start.
It was all Kaikorai in the first half. Its support play was excellent and University A made error after error, despite having 80% possession and 73% territory.
Cameron Rutherford kicked six from six for 15 points but the students were a different team in the second spell as Sturgess lifted his forwards, replacement No 8 Sione Teu made an immediate impact and Matt Faddes was a constant danger in midfield.
University A scored two tries when Kaikorai prop Ben Martin was in the sin bin and it maintained its momentum when he returned.
Nick Annear was a slick halfback for University A, Stephen Fenemor was solid in his comeback from knee surgery and Fletcher Smith and Faddes always threatened.
Sturgess had one of his finest games, lock Hamish Walker continues to impress and flanker Nick O'Connell had a strong second half.
Kaikorai could not quite sustain its effort but it competed gamely. Matt Te Tana had a good all-round game at halfback, Rutherford and Logan Moore were lively five-eighths and Bryce Morgan took his try-scoring chance well.
Loose forwards Simon Grant, Nathan Hull and Jared Goodson all had excellent first halves, as did prop Martin.
University A 42 (Sam Sturgess 2, Matt Faddes 2, Nick O'Connell, Tama Tuirirangi tries; Stephen Fenemor 3 con, Fletcher Smith 2 pen), Kaikorai 30 (Bryce Morgan, Logan Moore, Ben Martin tries; Cameron Rutherford 3 con, 3 pen). Halftime: Kaikorai 27-11.
Taieri 34
Alhambra-Union 14
A clinical Taieri team had two periods of magic against Alhambra-Union on a soggy Peter Johnstone Park.
Taieri scored two tries in a five-minute bubble of brilliance towards the end of the first half to lead 17-0 at the break. It had another inspirational 12 minutes in the second half when it scored three tries between the 53rd and 65th minutes.
It was those two scoring periods that took the game out of the grasp of an Alhambra-Union team that held its own for the rest of the game.
The best Taieri back was centre Kieran Moffat, who was lethal inside the 22m and used his strength and guile to score two first-half tries. His solid defence shut down Alhambra-Union attacks.
The other back to shine was first five-eighth Michael Collins, who directed play efficiently and gained ground with his raking punts.
The best Taieri forwards were flankers James Lentjes and Willis Scott with their work at the breakdown, strong tackling and support play.
Lock Mike McKee gained seven clean takes in the lineout and prop Nick McLennan was efficient with the pick and go. Charlie O'Connell added thrust when he came on in the second half.
The best Alhambra-Union backs were halfback Caleb Gray and first five-eighth Peter Breen, who demonstrated his speed when he scored two tries. One was a 90m run after making an intercept close to his own goal line.
The best Alhambra-Union forwards were prop Scott Manson and lock Mike Colville, who made 10 clean takes in the lineout.
Taieri 34 (Kieran Moffat 2, Shannon Young, Kurt Hammer, Willis Scott, Will Cosgriff tries; Henry Parker 2 con), Alhambra-Union 14 (Peter Breen 2 tries; Breen 2 con). Halftime: Taieri 17-0.
Dunedin 64
Pirates 14
Pirates fielded a makeshift team at Kettle Park and the game was over as a contest when Dunedin scored six tries playing into the wind in the first half.
The Pirates forwards competed well for the full 80 minutes, and their two tries came from forward drives. But when Dunedin went wide, it exploited the paper-thin defence of Pirates.
Remarkably, big Dunedin lock Martin Swaffield - who hardly ever troubles the scorers - ranged up in support and galloped over for three tries. Loosies Hugh Blake and Hame Toma capitalised on numerous breaks by pivot Greg Dyer and midfielder Rowan McKenzie to sprint away for tries.
In the second half, the Pirates pack hoed away, ably led by hooker Sekonaia T-Pole and No 8 Ben Sexton, giving Dunedin fewer opportunities to set its outsides alight.
Dyer and Mckenzie still found holes for the latter to add a brace to the try he had scored in the first spell, and winger Liam Ward hit a hole created by Dyer to sprint away.
Hugh Blake capped off a fine game by fending off three players from a scrum 35m out and outpacing the defence for a ridiculously easy try.
Pirates gained some respect when it created a 15-man maul to storm over for the try, only for referee Joel Hibbs to overturn that and award a penalty try.
The only down side for Dunedin was the loss of Toma and fellow loose forward Mitch Zandstra to injury.
Dyer and McKenzie were in irrepressible form in the backline. In the pack, Blake was dynamic and was backed by the looming presence of Swaffield and hooker Will Henry.
For Pirates, Sexton and T-Pole were indefatigable, and the ageing Conrad Stedman and Andrew Johnston never took a backward step.
Dunedin 64 (Martin Swaffield 3, Rowan Mckenzie 3, Hugh Blake 2, Hame Toma, Liam Ward tries; Greg Dyer 7 con), Pirates 14 (Ben Sexton try, penalty try; Craig Snedden 2 con). Halftime: Dunedin 36-7.
Harbour 43
Green Island 7
The Harbour forward pack proved too big and too powerful when it put in a solid performance to secure a convincing victory at Miller Park.
The dominance of the Harbour pack left Green Island powerless, particularly in the scrum, where Harbour appeared to be able to push the Green Island pack off the ball at will.
Losing lock Motu Huch to the sin bin early in the second half did little to inspire confidence in the Green Island engine room. Harbour extracted full advantage and two of its eight tries were scored while Huch was off.
Peter Mirrielees inspired a finely-tuned Harbour tight five, where props Matt Kiore and George Bower and locks Elioti Tonga and Peter Sinamoni gave plenty at the breakdowns and in close.
Behind the dominant tight five, loose forwards Charles Elton, James Tomkinson and Ben Whale excelled for Harbour.
Halfback Jonty Woods delivered good service to the backs, where centre Aleki Morris proved a handful for the Green Island defence.
Green Island attacked the Harbour line in the dying minutes but its spirit was shattered by a length-of-the-field try to Harbour winger Marckis Shaaf, which left both teams and the referee breathless.
Harbour 43 (Peter Mirrielees 2, Charles Elton 2, James Tomkinson, Mateo Malupo, Aleki Morris, Marckis Shaaf tries; Joe Collins pen), Green Island 7 (Lausei Pritchard try; Shane McNoe con). Halftime: Harbour 18-7.
