Baywide rugby: Bonus-point bonanza as Tauranga win again

TWO-UP: Double try-scorer Te Puke's Eru Smith-Wano gets through the Greerton defence. Photo/Andrew Warner

Tauranga Sports continued their Baywide Premier unbeaten run, defeating Whakatane Marist in the Eastern Bay of Plenty on Saturday.

The Western Bay side grabbed their ninth successive bonus point for four tries or better, as they eventually surged past the Eastern Bay side 54-22.

Whakatane Marist roared into action in the opening minutes of the encounter to lead 10-7.

The visitors absorbed the pressure and took a 21-10 advantage into the halftime break. The Western Bay side ran in eight touchdowns with Tauranga Sports kicker John Dodd adding seven conversions.

The Marist tries went to Tristam Healy, Jona Sawailau and Malakai Vulakoro.

Rotoiti cemented fourth place in the standings after beating Waikite 33-5 in Rotorua.

Zac Hohneck grabbed two touchdowns for the victors, with Sioli Alofi and Joe Royal also dotting the ball down. The Rotorua lakesiders were also awarded a penalty try by the referee to give them a valuable bonus point in the race to the playoffs.

Defending Baywide titleholders Mount Maunganui had a game of attrition with near neighbours Rangataua at Te Ariki Park.

Trailing by three at the break, Mount Maunganui ground out a hard-fought 32-27 win. Zar Lawrence, Brett Ranga, Ben Tyler, Owen Karatai and Mason Walker crossed for the winners with Reuben Poraka, Pararihi Lovett and Tute Grant scoring tries for Rangataua.

Whakarewarewa lurk just outside the top eight after getting past a game Te Puna 46-26. The Western Bay visitors used a strong breeze in the first half to good effect to lead 19-14 at the break. However, Whakarewarewa unleashed their heavy artillery in the closing 40 minutes to post a further 32 points. Te Rangi Fraser, who leads the Baywide try-scoring stakes, added another touchdown in the second half to take his season tally to 17.

Te Puke Sports had an arm wrestle with Greerton Marist in the first half and trailed 10-12 at the break. The 2011 and 2012 Baywide titleholders dug deep in the second spell to take home a 41-22 victory.

Meanwhile, Opotiki grabbed their third win of the season when they won the Eastern Bay derby, defeating Paroa 19-5.

Baywide Premier: Mount Maunganui 32 (B Ranga, Z Lawrence, B Tyler, O Karatai, M Walker tries; M Walker 2 con pen) Rangataua 27 (R Poraka, P Lovett, T Grant tries; J Ririnui 3 con 2 pen). Halftime: 10-13; Whakarewarewa 46 (W Craft-Chemis 2, T Sweeney 2, C van der Vlugt, T Fraser tries; R Vaipo 5 con 2 pen) Te Puna 26 (S Eru, H Boyce, D Schuster, G Stevenson tries; K Long 3 con). Halftime: 14-19; Tauranga Sports 54 (J Harvey 2, D Crowther, G Hills, R Abraham, J Dodd, L Hancock, N Evemy tries; J Dodd 7 con) Whakatane Marist 22 (T Healy, J Sawailau, M Vulakoro tries; M Williams 2 con pen). Halftime: 21-10; Te Puke Sports 41 (E Smith-Wano 2, M Cole, B Uriarau, D Barnett tries; D Hollinshead 5 con 2 pen) Greerton Marist 22 (T Nenani, C Hall, P Cook tries; T O'Malley 2 con pen). Halftime: 10-12; Rotoiti 33 (Z Hohneck 2, S Alofi, J Royal. Penalty try; W Cunningham 4 con) Waikite 5; Opotiki 19 (M Webber, S Martin, T Mahaki tries; B Hawera 2 con) Paroa 5
Points: Tauranga Sports 45, Te Puke Sports 42, Mount Maunganui 35, Rotoiti 32, Whakarewarewa 29, Greerton Marist 21, Rangataua 17, Te Puna 17, Whakatane Marist 16, Opotiki 14, Paroa 5, Waikite 0.
Baywide Division 1: Rangiuru 37 Katikati 16; Te Teko 25 Kahukura 23; Arataki 29 Judea 10; Poroporo 73 Marist St Michaels 17; Galatea 33 Ngongotaha 14; Ruatoki won by default.
Baywide Development: Waikite 23 Rotoiti 20; Te Puna 36 Whakarewarewa 14; Te Puke Sports 40 Greerton Marist 0; Paroa 39 Opotiki22; Tauranga Sports 85 Whakatane Marist 15.