Rugby: Tauranga spoil Te Puke's party

Tauranga Sports captain Carl Axtens holds aloft the Bayfair Baywide Trophy after victory over Te Puke Sports on Saturday. Photo / Rick Moran

Te Puke Sports' great expectations of winning the Bayfair Baywide Premier club title ended in abject despair on Saturday at Murray Salt Stadium.

Tauranga Sports, their major rivals for the coveted silverware in recent seasons, upset the form book by beating previously unbeaten Te Puke 24-12 in the club season finale.

It was Tauranga's eighth Baywide Premier title win since 1999.

To add to the staunch Te Puke rugby community's disappointment, Rangiuru were upset 14-9 by Arataki in the Division One final played at Centennial Park, across the road from Te Puke Sports ground.

Arataki just made it into the top four after an epic win away at Te Teko last week and again proved their big match temperament by beating hot favourites Rangiuru.

For Carl Axtens, winning captain of the Tauranga Premier side, the victory more than made amends for the heavy loss they conceded in the earlier encounter between the teams at the same venue.

"I'm really pleased that we bounced back with our set piece. That was the focus, I guess, from the last time," Axtens said.

"I am so stoked with the boys and how much passion they showed, wanting to get up off the line and make a tackle. I said to them before the start that we have all the ammo in the world and all the moves and that, but it comes down to who wants it more."

The loss was hard to take for Te Puke, who went into the game confident they could win their third Baywide title in five years.

Captain Tim Bond says they went away from what had worked so well all season.

"We didn't really engage them as well as we should have," he said. "I don't think we did one lineout drive all game and that physical dominance has been a key part of our game plan.

"I don't know if we got a little bit ahead of ourselves and went away from our strengths a wee bit and played into their hands. They slowed our ruck ball enough to get their D set. That is the mark of a quality side who worked to the referee as well as they could." There was some consolation for Te Puke Sports in beating Tauranga Sports 16-13 in the Development final. It was a thriller right to the last play, when Tauranga hit the post with a penalty attempt to take the game to extra time.