SATURDAY 29th saw the last games of the First Round completed.

With Waihi in first place on the table and Whangamata and North equal second, these games were the only guarantee through to the Second Round Top Five.  Both Norths and Whangamata oppositions had to win to get into that Top Five.

Whangamata's opposition, Mercury Bay, came south with clear intentions of winning the contest and started with commitment and put the Whanga Boyz under pressure which resulted with a penalty which they kicked.  Mercury Bay 3-0.

This woke the local boyz up who's scrums and line outs started to work.  Then tight five, Big Chanel, Big Brad, The Rock, Hardman Hutty and Drury Sleepover, picked up their play and used their size to get good-go-forward ball which set the tone for the rest of the game.  The loose forwards Mr X, Brother Y and Pete P made some hard hits and telling runs.  The backs chimed in with Riki T, Kevin T, Bernie T and H supporting their team song "pass it in, pass it out, pass it all about", which paid dividends with a try under the post to Captain Sammy B.  Wgm 7-3.  Adam B was next on the receiving end of good phase play to score near the posts and of course he converted his own try.  Wgm 14-3.  One more try in the first half to Huck T had the score at Wgm 19-6.

Going into the slight breeze in the second half didn't slow the team down who scored another five tries! to Grievous Super Sub, Jesse G, Captain Sammy B AGAIN, Corey P the Schoolboy and Kane E.  Kane's try being the best of them all with the ball passing through numerous hands and phases, side to side, up the field to score in the corner. THE CROWD GOES WILD!  The Coach was reportedly to be smiling all night long!

Final score Whangamata 44 - Mercury Bay 6

Other scores in the Second Division: Coromandel 22 - North 15, Thames 27 - COB 5, Waihi 112 - Waihou 0

Top Five:  Waihi, Whangamata, North, Coromandel & Paeroa Old Boys

Redraw beginning 5th June.  One round of four games and a bye.  Then one plays two - winner straight into the Final.  Loser of one verses two meets winner of three verses four to be the other finalist.

Senior Scores:  Mercury Bay blew an 18-8 lead against Tairua in the last 8 minutes to lose 21-18.  North beat Ngatea 28-11, West and Waihou won their games over COB and Thames.