Baywide rugby divisional finals decided

MUDDY BATTLE: Tamehaha Heke with the ball for Judea against Te Teko in Saturday's Baywide Division One final. PHOTO/MERLE SEELING 070816sp26BOP

A marathon Baywide Division One title decider between hosts Judea and Te Teko at Judea's Maharaia Winiata Park was finally taken out by the Eastern Bay visitors, after 20 minutes of extra time on Saturday.

With gumboots the footwear of choice of many of the spectators on the sideline, the scene was set for what turned out to be a forward battle for Division One supremacy.

Te Teko opened the scoring with a penalty goal in the opening 10 minutes which Judea repeated to leave the game 3-3 at halftime.

The game sparked into life in the second spell with a Judea try, awarded to Jacob Mathews, breaking the deadlock.

Half way through the second half, a Judea clearing kick was charged down to give Te Teko their first try with the resulting conversion giving the Eastern Bay side a 10-8 advantage.

A further Te Teko penalty stretched their lead to five before Tanira Murray brought plenty of joy to the large parochial Judea crowd when he crashed over, to lock up the scores at 13-13.

The remaining 15 minutes saw neither side able to break the deadlock, with the referee Mate Samuels signaling 20 minutes of extra time after the regulation 80 minutes was over.

The two teams became locked in a head-to-head battle, before the Te Teko kicker slotted a penalty goal and then the visitors scored a converted try to take home the Baywide crown at the end of the classic encounter. Both sides engaged in a spine-tingling haka that was enthusiastically received by supporters from both teams.

Meanwhile in the curtain-raiser at Blake Park Tauranga Sports took out the Baywide Development One title against Mount Maunganui after they finished fourth in the qualifying competition.

Tauranga Sports led 11-0 early in the match before Kyle Montgomery crossed for the home side's sole try of the game. Tauranga Sports came back with a converted try to lead 18-8 at the break.

"Our strategy was to take the game away from the Mount early to take a lead into the half time break," Tauranga Sports coach Stephen Murray said.

Tauranga Sports added 10 points in the second spell through a converted try and a penalty goal, while Paul Tietjens kicked his second penalty for Mount Maunganui which resulted in Tauranga Sports posting a 28-11 victory.

However the winners had to soak up the pressure late in the game as the home side made repeated attacks on the try line.

For the winning Tauranga Sports team winger Ralulu Bavou dotted the ball down twice, with Leon Knight and Phillip Togotogorua also scoring tries. Will Flinn added a two penalty goals and a conversion.

Results:
Division One: Te Teko 23 Judea 13 after 20 minutes of extra time. Regular time Te Teko 13 Judea 13. HT 3-3

Development One: Tauranga Sports 28 Mount Maunganui 11. HT 18-8

Premier 2: Paroa 21 v Whakarewarewa 10

Development 2: Opotiki 34 v Waikite 17

Division 2: Waimana 38 v Murupara15