Police go into the first break of the season at the top of the table following a thrilling 25-21 win over bottom club Renegades on Saturday.

Teachers meanwhile are hot on their heels after coming from behind to grind out a hard-fought 13-3 victory over Mariners.

The defending champions are just two points back, with Police's two bonus points the difference between the sides who have both won three of their first four games.

Both were pushed close though in the last games before a month's break, and for a time on Saturday it looked like Police might be about to lose their top spot in a free-scoring game against Renegads where the lead changed hands six times.

Dan Cole continued his impressive try-scoring run as he put the league leaders ahead, but displaying a –powerful running game of their own Renegades pushed deep into Police –territory and forced two penalties which Ian Henderson converted to put his side 6-5 up.

Mohamed Dao then extended Renegades lead with a fine individual score, and although the conversion was missed the league's whipping boys went 11-5 up at the break.

The second half began as frantically as the first had finished, with Police edging back in front after Tommy Edwards converted Darren Richardson's try. Renegades bounced right back though, when Henderson converted Conor McGlynn's try.

With space opening up across the pitch, a super run and offload from Ralshon Douglas put Edwards through to score his side's third try, and David Pringle added the extras to give Police a narrow 19-18 lead.

A Henderson penalty saw the lead change hands again, but Police found an extra gear and won two late penalties, both of which Pringle made successfully as they won an epic match 25-21.

Mariners too were left to wonder what might have been after they had the majority of the possession, and the territory, and still lost to Teachers.

It's the mark of a fine team that can spend a lot of the game on the back foot, absorbing pressure and tackling themselves to a standstill, yet still manage to win, and Teachers are certainly that.

In a first half where Mariners put several phases of rugby together but just couldn't find the killer pass, an Andy Boyce penalty was the only thing that separated the two sides at the break.

Things might have been different if Boyce hadn't missed a very kickable penalty soon after the restart, but the miss seemed to rouse Teachers, who levelled soon after through the boot of Greg Fraser, and then pushed ahead when Mariners were caught with their hands in the ruck, and Fraser cooly slotted the penalty over.

The only try of the game went to David Porter, who was on hand to collect Thomas Greenslade's pop after Greenslade had brilliantly caught the defence flat footed with a break from the base of a ruck. Fraser converted to hand his side a 13-3 win.

In the weekend's women's rugby, Renegades continued their three-year unbeaten streak with a 6-1 thumping of Police. Laura Haynes bagged a first half hat-trick, and Nicky Jones and Maria Dobinson scored one apiece as the league leaders raced into a 5-0 lead at the break.

Carmien Cloete got one back for Police in a much tighter second half, but Melissa Field had the last say to finish off a fine win for Renegades.

Mariners meanwhile were completely undone by the brilliance of Teachers' Katie Wright, who scored four first half tries in a 4-2 win. Marines improved in the second half, and tries from Lisa Henderson and Gina Newson gave them a glimmer of hope, but they ultimately ran out of time.