Rugby: Contrasts mark round two

Te Puke Sports player Grayden Sheres takes the ball up against Greerton Marist in Saturday's 39-36 thriller. Photo / Rick Moran

A rare draw with an old-fashioned scoreline of 10-10 and a 39-36 thriller were the two contrasting highlights of an absorbing round two of the Baywide Premier competition played on Saturday.

Te Puna and Whakarewarewa featured in the low scoring draw at Maramataga Park but although both sides managed just one try each the game was anything but boring.

Te Puna led 3-0 at halftime and then 10-0 after Marty Stevenson crossed for a try converted by Te Ahi Toma but Whakarewarewa stormed home in the final 10 minutes with a try to Eru Wano with Ryubyn Vaipo kicking the goals to earn the draw.

At Te Puke the home side eventually won 39-36 over a Greerton Marist side that refused to give in.

Te Puke Sports were boosted by Chiefs hooker and former All Black Nathan Harris who played 80 minutes and scored one of Te Puke's five tries on the comeback after a concussion.

Te Puke led 20-10 at halftime but Greerton scored four of their five tries in the second half in a stirring comeback.

"For large periods of the game we controlled it but the last 10 to 15 minutes was disappointing and highlighted a lack of fitness on our behalf as we allowed them to score some well-taken tries," Te Puke coach Craig Jeffries said. "To be fair on Greerton they attacked really well and they were quite clinical in what they did."

At Blake Park, Rangataua Sports were hoping to knock over Mount Maunganui Sports and make it two wins but lacking their dynamic captain Matt Clutterbuck they lost 36-17.

Rangataua struggled to get their hands on the ball for long enough to exert any dominance and spent much of the match tackling their hearts out with halfback Joel Little leading the way. Mount Maunganui scored six tries, with a double to standout No 8 Tamanui Hill, but that was all they could be happy with after a muddling performance. The backline lacked its usual composure with far too many unforced errors.

Tauranga Sports were too strong for Arataki winning 41-3 with Whakatane Marist and Rotoiti the other winners.

Baywide results:

Premier: Te Puna 10 (Marty Stevenson try; Te Aihi Toma pen, con) Whakarewarewa 10 (Eru Wano try; Ryvbyn Vaipo pen, con) HT 3-0 Te Puna.

Mount Maunganui 36 (Tamanui Hill 2, Jonty Wood, Mason Walker, Sebastian Siataga, Zar Lawrence tries; Pera Gibbs 3 cons) Rangataua 17 (Paranihi Lovett, Teina Hika, Kemble Frost tries; Joel Little con) HT 24-12.

Te Puke Sports 39 (Luke Campbell 2, Aiden Ross, Nathan Harris, Graydon Scheres tries; Matt Cole 2 con, pen, L Campbell 2 con) Greerton Marist 36 (Josh Evemy 2, Rehua Ngatai, Pedro Lescano, Afea tries; Elliott Davis 4 con, pen) HT 20-10.

Tauranga Sports 41 (Jona Sawilau 3, Phillip Togotogorua, Beau Williams, Dan Crowther, Ravalu Bavou tries; John Dodd 2 con, Paul Morris con) Arataki 3 (Reece McDonald pen).

Rotoiti 27 (Levi Sakeo, Jesse Acton, Logan Norman, Lionel Skipworth, Josh Taylor tries; Logan Henry con) Paroa 10

Whakatane Marist 58 Opotiki 10

Points: Whakatane Marist 10, Tauranga Sports 10, Mount Maunganui Sports 9, Whakarewarewa 7, Te Puna 6, Rangataua 4, Rotoiti 4, Te Puke Sports 4, Greerton Marist 1, Arataki 0, Opotiki 0, Paroa 0.

Division One: Papamoa 15 Ruatoki 10, Poroporo 54 Katikati 14, Rangiuru 22 Judea 20, Waikite 18 Marist St Michaels 13, Ngongotaha 27 Kahukura 14, Te Teko the bye.

Development: Tauranga Sports 43 Arataki 24, Te Puna 83 Whakarewarewa 12, Mount Maunganui 39 Rangataua 0, Te Puke Sports 47 Greerton Marist 12, Whakatane Marist 60 Opotiki 5, Rotoiti 24 Paroa 20.