Te Puke sides dominate in early rounds of Baywide rugby

Rangiuru's Elijah Nicholas makes a break backed up by player coach Tanerau Latimer (left).

The Baywide Premier rugby table makes great reading for any sports fan in Te Puke.

Rangiuru and Te Puke are the only two sides that remain unbeaten after three rounds of the competition.

Te Puke Sports put 50 points on Greerton Marist on Saturday while at Centennial Park Rangiuru did the same to Te Teko.

Tamaikoha Te-Aute and Sasu Wihapi each scored two tries while there were also touch downs to Cruise Clarke, Elijah Nicholas, Hemana Takuira-Mita and Caleb Cheetham while Ngatai Kingi kicked four from five and Simon Rolleston landed two from three attempts.

While having to give second best at most scrums, Rangiuru was dominant in other areas of the game, especially in midfield, with the backs scoring the majority of the tries in the 52-5 win.

At Greerton Park, a Declan Barnett hat trick led Te Puke Sports to a 50-10 win, his first just before half time breaking a 3-3 deadlock.

A couple of minutes into the second half a second Te Puke try stretched the lead. With 10 minutes remaining, the Pirates led 29-10, before running in three further touchdowns to post an emphatic 40 point winning margin.

Prop Joe Ormsby, Jacob Janson, Jason Thomasen and Brad Armstrong added tries and player of the day Cole Forbes kicked six conversions and a penalty goal - and has now slotted 15 kicks at goal with just one miss in the last two matches.

Te Puke Sports has three wins to Rangiuru's two and a draw and have posted 149 points with just 25 scored by the opposition in the opening three matches. The only other previously unbeaten side, Whakarewarewa went down to Te Puna 52-26.

The Te Puke Sports development team came from an early deficit to work their way to a 31-14 win over Greerton Marist in the early action at Greerton Park while Rangiuru
Development overcame Te Teko 44-0.

Next Saturday Te Puke Sports are at home in the premier and development competitions to Rangataua, while Rangiuru travel to the Eastern Bay of Plenty to play Ōpōtiki.