Te Puna's up-and-down season took another turn on Saturday, and there's a feeling there could be a couple more twists still to come before the four semifinalists in the Baywide premier division are sorted in two weeks.
Te Puna have snuck into fifth in the standings, just a point outside the top four, following a dramatic 39-32 defeat of last year's beaten finalists Whakarewarewa at Maramatanga Park, with the win not sealed until fullback Daryl Houia's bonus-point try in the final minute killed off the fast-finishing Rotorua side.
Houia's touchdown, a rare foray in the Whaka 22 after the red and blacks dominated second half scoring, gave Te Puna maximum points and bumped them to 48 for the season, one behind Opotiki and Rotoiti. Te Puke and Tauranga Sports are guaranteed to host semifinals, with Te Puke still in control on 70 and Tauranga Sports on 61.
Te Puna, who were superbly served by flankers Wiremu Borrell and Marty Stevenson, led 13-3 at halftime, with centre Lance Macdonald scoring after a big bust up the middle by Borrell, with Houia adding the extras through two penalties and a conversion, although ominous early signs were stymied by a lack of control by Te Puna and solid Whaka defence.
Whaka's sole points, scored ironically when second-five Aliki Kisina was sinbinned by ref Bryce Lawrence for a professional foul, were kicked by first-five Maurice Stone.
But graft and control shown in the first half was supplanted by a scattergun approach from both sides in the second 40. Hautonga Connell powered over for Te Puna two minutes after the break but Whaka replied immediately when prop Peter Smith was mauled over.
A clean Stevenson break up the left-hand touchline led to first-five Te Aihe Toma stretching his side's buffer to 23-10, which became 28-10 via Houia's boot, before Whaka roared back through Stone, fullback Rawiri Tapiata and halfback-turned-midfielder Chris Miller, with the home side in panic mode as Stone's boot made it 34-32 with just minutes remaining. What looked like a cruise towards victory and playoffs rugby was quickly going south.
But Te Puna rallied, finding new defensive edge to halt Whaka's momentum, and bagged their bonus point when an Aidan Kuka break created space for Houia to dive over.
The fullback, who scored 24 points after also landing five penalties and two conversions, said all the talk leading into the clash was about the need for maximum points to stay in touch with a spot in the playoffs.
"That's been the focus in training - getting the win, hopefully five points as well, to give ourselves a chance. Unfortunately they created most of the momentum in the second half and we were staring at four points or maybe even no points.
"But when they got their fourth try to close it up [to two points] all the talk was still about getting back down their end and getting that fourth try.
"When we did it might have killed off their season [Whaka languish back in sixth, seven points outside the top four] and kept ours alive, although we'll see in the next couple of weeks."
Whaka were missing a few on their bench yet it was Te Puna who ran out of puff in the second half, although Houia said it was lack of concentration rather than fitness that created problems.
"Our own errors cost us and kept them in it - every time we scored we'd drop the ball and give them points. We didn't build any pressure until right at the end. But we're still there and want to be there at the end, and the boys will take plenty of heart from this. If we can make the semis then from there it's anyone's game."
Victory for Te Puna wrapped up an intriguing round, with Te Puke only just holding off Opotiki 11-10 after trailing 6-10 at halftime, handing the Eastern Bay side their first home loss of the season.
Battlers Rangataua caused the boilover, possibly of the season, when they downed Tauranga Sports 14-12, with Adam McGarvey's sweet boot the difference with three penalties as Tauranga outscored Rangataua two tries (Steve Honey and Jeremy Cave) to one from the home side's Moiri Hika.
Rotoiti remain in the top four after a four-try 22-11 win against Mount Maunganui at Emery Park, while Greerton Marist joined Rangataua clear of relegation with a 53-8 thrashing of Waikite, with the former Baywide premier champions headed for the drop to division one next season.
PGG Wrightson Baywide scores:
Premier:
Rangataua 14 (Moiri Hika try; Adam McGarvey 3 pens) Tauranga Sports 12 (Jeremy Cave, Steve Honey tries; Nick Evemy con) HT 3-7.
Greerton Marist 53 (Karl Perrott 2, Richard Nauer, Brendan McKeown, Ryan Abbott, Wayne Slater, Blair Tristram tries; Tristram 3 cons, pen, Alex Jessop con) Waikite 8 (T Williams try, S Thompson pen).
Te Puna 39 (Lance Macdonald, Hiautonga Connell, Te Aihe Toma, Daryl Hoiua tries; Houia 5 pens, 2 cons) Whakarewarewa 32 (Peter Smith, Maurice Stone, Rawiri Tapiata, Chris Miller tries; Stone 3 cons, 2 pen) HT 13-3.
Rotoiti 22 (Sigfreid Fisiihoi, Matt Landers, Beau Keil, Sunshine Fraser tries; Whakataki Cunningham con) Mount Maunganui 11 (Zane Butler try; Ben Lloyd pen, Matt Golding pen)
Te Puke Sports 11 (Jack Wilson try; Nick McCashin 2 pens) Opotiki 10 (Matt Henwood try; Sam Howe pen con) HT 6-10.
Points: Te Puke Sports 70, Tauranga Sports 61, Opotiki 49, Rotoiti 49, Te Puna 48, Whakarewarewa 42. Mount Maunganui 39, Greerton Marist 20, Rangataua 18, Waikite 8.
Division one:
Marist St Michaels 25 Whakatane Marist 20, Paroa 39 Kahukura 17, Te Teko 58 Ruatoki 7, Ngongotaha 32 Poroporo 15, Rangiuru won by default.
Colts:
Section one: Tauranga Sports 19 Mount Maunganui 5, Greerton Marist 20 Marist St Michaels 0, Te Puna 27 Te Puke Sports 15. Section two: Rangataua 59 Opotiki 12, Kahukura 50 Rotoiti 0, Waikite won by default.