JUST IN TIME: Poroporo player Tipene Smith clears the ball as Rangiuru player Eru Pouwhare bears down during the Division One semifinal at Centennial Park in Te Puke. PHOTO/BEN FRASER 190715BF11
JUST IN TIME: Poroporo player Tipene Smith clears the ball as Rangiuru player Eru Pouwhare bears down during the Division One semifinal at Centennial Park in Te Puke. PHOTO/BEN FRASER 190715BF11
All three Bayfair Baywide finals to be played out next weekend will be held in Te Puke after the Baywide semifinals were completed on Saturday.
Rangiuru won an absolute nail-biter 12-11 in the Division One semifinal against Eastern Bay's Poroporo at Centennial Park.
Poroporo, with a strong Fijian contingent, madethe early running and led 11-6 at the half-time break courtesy of a try and two penalty goals. Rangiuru's sharp shooter Ngatai Kingi kept the home side in touch with two penalties.
With the clock ticking down Rangiuru trailed by two points, before Kingi kicked his fourth penalty goal of the match with just a minute remaining. Rangiuru's victory was built upon an outstanding performance from the forwards and club pride. Kingi was his team's player of the day, for his unwavering calmness under pressure to kick the winning goals.
Arataki came from fourth place in the qualifying competition to upset Te Teko 18-15 at Dunderdale Park in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Arataki will make the trip to Centennial Park in Te Puke next weekend to square off with Rangiuru for the Baywide Division One trophy and promotion to the premier division next year.
Next door's Murray Salt Stadium will host both the Baywide Premier and Development finals after both Te Puke Sports teams' posted victories on Saturday.
Te Puke Development proved too strong for Greerton Marist winning 41-7 and will meet Tauranga Sports, who beat Mount Maunganui 44-7.
Te Puke defeated Tauranga Sports in a 15-12 nail-biter two weeks ago to take the favourites' mantle into Saturday's match. Coach John O'Loan will take a Tauranga Sports team to his seventh Baywide final and knows what it takes to win.
Two Western Bay teams are in the Division Two semifinals next weekend.
Eastern Districts defeated Eastern Pirates 31-29 in a thriller in Rotorua while Papamoa got past Edgecumbe 25-5 at the Gordon Spratt Reserve. Tauranga Sports advanced to the Baywide Senior Reserve semis when they beat Te Teko 26-14 at the Tauranga Domain.
