Mount Maunganui players celebrate after beating Rangataua to win the major prize of the Gordon Tietjens Cup. Photo/Supplied
Mount Maunganui players celebrate after beating Rangataua to win the major prize of the Gordon Tietjens Cup. Photo/Supplied
Mount Maunganui Sports took home the Gordon Tietjens Cup after defeating Rangataua Sports 24-21 in the Championship final of the Bay of Plenty Baywide Club Sevens Tournament held at Paengaroa yesterday.
Mount Maunganui trailed 14-5 at halftime to a well-drilled Rangataua team under the coaching tutoring of former New Zealandrep Nathaniel Walker. It looked all over for the defending champions when Jason Weatherley crossed for Rangataua's third try but four minutes is an age in sevens as Rangataua found out.
Mount's key attacking weapon, Mason Walker, slipped a tackle on halfway and outpaced the defence on a clever angled run to score under the posts. Jesse Dodunski made a scything run to put Manus Hanley in to close the gap to 21-17 into the final minute when Walker picked up a loose ball 80 metres out. He went through one very costly missed tackle, out-paced the cover and then drew the last defender to put Dodunski in under the bar for the match winner.
Mount captain Matty Axtens says he knew his team had come back from similar deficits before so there was no panic despite trailing in the final.
Tight Five division winners Arataki. Photo/Supplied
"It was a team effort. We rolled our whole bench in the final and everyone that came on definitely helped it so I think we are really lucky with the depth we have in the club. It is amazing what (coach) Pauly Tietjens is doing with the team too.
"Mason Walker is that kind of character who can break games open and he did it today. Everyone knows he has got pace but knowing it is one thing, trying to stop it is another. He has got that X factor ad is definitely going to go on to bigger and better things."
Waikite and Opotiki players celebrate after the Women's Championship final won 12-5 by Waikite. Photo/Supplied
In the women's Championship, Rotorua club Waikite defeated Opotiki 12-5 to win the Exia Edwards Cup.
