Baywide rugby: Te Puke teams in key games

Wingers Curtis Deane, with the ball, and Declan Barnett are two of Te Puke Sports' attacking weapons. Photo / File

The distance between Liverpool's two famous football grounds of Anfield and Goodison Park is 2km through Stanley Park.

In Te Puke there is an almost identical distance between the excellent playing facilities of Rangiuru Sports' Centennial Park and Te Puke Sports' Murray Salt Stadium, separated by Donovan Park.

The two proud clubs are involved in the key match-ups tomorrow in their respective divisions of the Farmlands Co-operative Baywide competitions.

Te Puke sit fourth in the Premier grade and host second-placed Rotoiti, while Rangiuru, in second equal with Waikite in Division 1, travel to play Waikite in Rotorua.

Te Puke gave Mount Maunganui Sports an unexpected 43-10 thumping last weekend which player/coach Matt Wallis said was a top performance.

"The secret to the win was just our boys are starting to play to the systems we have been practising and how we want to play the game and just executed that really.

"Individually, guys are playing well and we now realise we can move the ball around and create space with our forwards."

Wallis said the win over the Mounties was not as one-sided as the score indicated.

"The Mount threw a lot at us and we probably defended for a lot more of the game than on attack. I think that is a credit to our boys on defence. They trust each other and are getting up and making their tackles."

Rotoiti come to Murray Salt Stadium in good form after beating Rangataua Sports last round. They are four points behind leaders Te Puna (37), ahead of Tauranga Sports (31) and Te Puke (29).

"I think with Rotoiti traditionally they have been a team that will attack you through the middle of the field. They have got big boys who love to run the ball, they are confrontational and physical with a good set piece, and they have a good kicking game," Wallis said.

"They play simple rugby but they do it well."

Rangiuru travel to Rotorua to face Waikite in a crucial match-up between the two teams on 34 points, three behind leaders Opotiki with Marist St Michael's a point adrift in fourth.

Rangiuru head coach Simon Rolleston said tomorrow's clash has a semifinal feel to it.

"If we lose this we put ourselves into a tough situation and have to rely on other teams to win or lose. It is a tough place to go and get a win but we have trained well and we know what we need to do.

"We need to finish in the top four this round and reassess our goals but definitely want to be back up there playing prems."

Rolleston is in his first year rebuilding the Rangiuru squad with Bay of Plenty reps Isaac Te Aute and Elijah Nicholas leading the way on the field.

"We started early this year and wanted to get our team culture right which has happened. We also wanted to get our players back who were playing for rep teams, and build the team around them I guess because they have the experience and have played at that [premier] level," Rolleston said.