The Magpies scored three long-range tries in the game.
Harbour is also unbeaten after two games. It edged Taieri 27-17 in tight match which featured two penalty tries.
Last year's joint champion University produced a sloppy effort out wide and slumped to a second defeat. Kaikorai won the match 27-20, while Dunedin rebounded with a convincing 43-15 win against Alhambra-Union.
Harbour 27 Taieri 17
Not one but two penalty tries got the folk on the sideline animated.
Luckily the game was controlled by someone who actually reads the laws.
And Harbour was able to clinch a 27-17 win against Taieri with a decisive and controversy-free try in the final moments at Watson Park.
With the game hanging in the balance, the Hawks made their way up field and drove over through impressive reserve hooker Ben Atiga.
No complaints. Just a try.
That was not always the case earlier in the half. Harbour led 10-5 at the break and stretched its lead to 13-5 with a penalty out in front.
That lead blew out suddenly when referee Jono Bredin awarded a penalty try to Harbour.
Taieri fullback Josh Casey had thrown the ball out of the in-goal area and conceded an automatic seven points in doing so. He will not do that again.
Taieri got fired up and replied with a nice try to flanker Alexander Niedzwiecki. He was on the end of the chain following a long buildup.
The Eels continued to pressure the home side and a quick tap kick from 5m out brought about a second penalty try.
Harbour had not retired the required amount and made the tackle anyway. The Hawks lost a man to the bin for that play and had their lead cut to three points.
Lock Isaiah Mapusua and first five-eighth Logan Allen had strong games for Harbour, while loose forward Sam Fischli and halfback Bob Martin impressed for Taieri.
Kaikorai 27 University 20
University prop Angus Williams made his 100th appearance for the team, but it was not a particularly happy day for the bookend.
Whenever he lifted his head from a ruck or scrum, the backs were fumbling around and stuffing it up.
It was one of the worst performances a University backline has produced in many a year.
Their bumbling helped lay the groundwork for Kaikorai's 27-20 victory at Logan Park.
University scored right on full time to rescue a bonus point from the game. But there were so many awful handling errors the students ought to skip class and do some catching and passing practise.
Kaikorai got out to a 10-0 lead with a converted try and a penalty. University replied with a try to Tyler Beary. Captain Jack McHugh scored right on halftime to give his side a 12-10 lead.
The lead did not last long, with tighthead prop Mitchell Mahoni-Rae getting across the line.
Ben Miller had a strong game at first five-eighth, and added a penalty to stretch Kaikorai's advantage to 20-12.
University cut the gap with a penalty of its own. But right on cue the backs made another blunder.
In a laboured and telegraphed move they offered up a very easy intercept in the midfield. Replacement winger Corey Miller did the honours and ran it in from about 50m.
Kaikorai's Petelo Sinamoni had a big game despite his forward pack struggling, while lock Ben Reidy was dynamic for the home team.
Dunedin 43 Alhambra-Union 20
Dunedin started the game at the North Ground with the clear intention of expunging the memory of last week's loss to Zingari.
Inside 12 minutes, it was up 17-0 after converted tries to No8 Jamie Mowat and prop Teague McIlroy and a penalty to flyhalf George Witana.
Conversely the next 20 minutes was entirely forgettable. Dunedin went off the boil as the errors of loose carries, adventurous offloads and bad hands set in.
The home side came back into the game, but every time things looked promising its backs inexplicably coughed up possession with bad hands or terrible passing. It was quite ironic that four of the tries scored - two to each side - came off blatant knock-ons.
Late in the spell, Dunedin finally reinstituted its good phase play, and the impressive fullback Harrison Boyle crashed over from depth. Dunedin led by 24 at the break.
Dunedin stormed into the second spell and held the ball for numerous phases, but gave up a 12-point try when it threw a loose pass which whippet-like lock Kevin Vaeluaga latched on to. He then showed surprising pace to gallop 90m to score.
Dunedin regrouped and tries to replacement midfielder Jared Fahey and Boyle, notching his second, ensured the game was safe.
AU clawed a couple back off Dunedin mistakes to centre Brad Morgan and replacement loosie Huw Sutton. Replacement Dunedin lock Liam Trainor rounded out the scoring from close range from a Ben Taylor break.
For Dunedin, Boyle was impressive at the back and loosies Jamie Mowat and Hame Toma were into everything and never far from the ball. Lock Mark Grieve Dunn was his normal powerful self.
Fullback Levi Emery looked electric for the home team, was into everything and was dangerous on the counter.
Up front captain Alex Frood was powerful on the carry and also led very well from the
front.
Southern 23 Zingari-Richmond 7
Industrious try-scoring Southern outside back Mackenzie Haugh turned the tide on a confident Zingari-Richmond to run in three of his side's four tries in a 23-7 victory at Montecillo.
Playing with arguably a 15-point wind at its back in the first half, Southern was held to just a 10-7 advantage at the break, mainly due to Haugh's ability to eye a gap and sensationally dive over to score twice in the Carisbrook corner, to bookend the first half.
Despite Haugh's first-half scoring intrusions, Zingari-Richmond held its own in a bruising encounter.
But such was the commitment up front it lost three key players through injury - most notable was the departure of lock and captain Matt McCormack.
His loss in the engine room played a part in it losing its structure in the second half, and not being able to capitalise on scoring opportunities and a decisive penalty count in its favour.
But while the casualty list for the home side grew, Southern took control, using the experience of its pack to dominate both in set play and around the fringes as they played into the wind.
Mika Mafi capitalised on some wayward defence when given space to run in 30m for try, coming off the back of a scrum. Then 10 minutes later Haugh parted a sea of red, gold and black hooped jersies 40m out to score his third.
Despite a high error rate, it was a clinical display from the Southern pack.
For Zingari-Richmond however, losing players through injury had an unsettling effect.
- ODT rugby writers