Te Puke Sports, Rangiuru both miss out on final spots

Rangiuru tryscorer Tamaikoha Te Aute is tackled.

Te Puke Sports and Rangiuru both dipped out of the race for the Western Bay of Plenty senior rugby competition at the semi-final stage last Saturday.

Both clubs played the same teams they had played the previous weekend.

Rangiuru returned to Tauranga Domain, the scene of the previous weekend's two-point loss to the unbeaten Tauranga Sports, and once again took the game to the home side from the opening whistle.

A Sasu Wihapi penalty saw Rangiuru take first blood before Patuara Biel crashed over on the 10-minute mark after good work on the left.

The home side got points on the board at the halfway stage of the first spell with a penalty goal. Prop Ross Geldenhuys crossed for the second Rangiuru try and Tamaikoha
Te Aute scored the third after a couple of battering ram attacks to put the visitors 20-3 ahead at the break.

A shell shocked Tauranga Sports regained their composure in the five-minute break in play scoring their first try of the match shortly after then going on to score three more tries to win the game 29-20.

Until last Saturday, Te Puke Sports had only been beaten once in the 2020 season, by Tauranga Sports, and had beaten their semi-final opponents 50-26 the previous weekend.

But, with a place in the competition up for grabs, there was plenty of motivation on both sides.

A Te Puna penalty goal was the first scoring action of the match, with Dan Hollinshead slotting two penalties to give the home team a 6-3 lead. A successful Te Puna attack on the line resulted in a converted try, before a third Hollinshead penalty goal saw the visitors with a 14-9 advantage at half time.

Pirates narrowed the gap in the opening minutes of the second spell with a penalty, before Te Puna nailed three points due to a Te Puke indiscretion. Te Puke player/coach Matt Wallis crashed over to square up the score at 17 points apiece with more than 20 minutes to go. It took Te Puna just two minutes to regain their lead and, while Connor Hirini finished off a Te Puke attack to put his side within two points, Te Puna added a three-pointer to stretch the lead out to five again.

For the last five minutes of the game Te Puna's line proved to be impregnable, Te Puna winning 27-22.

Te Puke Sports co-captain Danny Underwood was selected as premier player of the day with prop Alex Johnston playing his blazer game

Te Puna will now visit Tauranga Domain to take on Tauranga Sports in next Saturday's final.

Eastern Districts are just two points off the Western Bay Senior Reserve competition lead with two rounds remaining in the first-past-the-post competition title race. Saturday's match-up with Greerton Marist at the Paengaroa Domain resulted in a 16-all draw after Eastern Districts held a narrow 7-6 advantage at half time.

Anthony Edmonds was presented with his team's player of the day award. Eastern Districts will round out their season with an encounter with Papamoa away from home, before finishing their season against Te Puna at the Paengaroa Domain.

Western Bay Senior Reserves
Eastern Districts 16 Greerton Marist 16, Tauranga Sports 29 Papamoa 0.
Points Table: Katikati 29, Tauranga Sports 28, Eastern Districts 27, Greerton Marist 24, Te Puna 8, Papamoa 5.