Baywide rugby: Te Puke Pirates finish top despite defeat

Grady Forbes (scrum cap) was one of Te Puke’s four tryscorers in the narrow loss to Tauranga Sports last Saturday. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

Baywide Rugby

Te Puke Sports’ regular season may have been bookended with losses - but in between, the Pirates were unbeaten.

Finishing top of the Baywide premier table after last weekend’s final game, it’s now a case of win or bust with the semifinals taking place next Saturday.

Losing the first game of the season to Greerton, it was Tauranga Sports that lowered the Pirates’ colours in the last played at Tauranga Domain.

The home side led 26-0 at the halfway stage of the encounter. The usually noisy Te Puke Sports supporters burst into full voice when their side ran in two quick touchdowns to Asivorosi Tuisasake and Declan Barnett plus a Kase Meyer conversion early in the second half.

A Tauranga Sports penalty at the 62-minute mark gave them their only points of the second half, but it proved to be decisive with converted tries to Grady Forbes and Jairi Qaqa meaning the Te Puke comeback fell just three points short and Tauranga securing a 29-26 point victory.

The Te Puke loss also meant the Jordan Cup changed hands for the final time this season.

Greerton Marist and Te Puna battled to a 12-all draw at Greerton Park with Whakarewarewa beating Rangataua 30-14 in Rotorua.

The end of two rounds of preliminary competition has resulted in Te Puke Sports finishing on the top of the points table, eight points ahead of Greerton Marist, with both sides earning home semifinals.

Te Puke will host Whaklarewarewa at Murray Salt Stadium while the other semifinal pits Greerton Marist against Tauranga Sports.

The first Baywide title of the season was decided at Blake Park. Mount Maunganui ran rampant in the AR Plus Championship Final, which is effectively the premier plate competition, winning 75-21.

The last round of the Colts/under 85kg regular season, saw Mount Maunganui retain an unbeaten record, after defeating Kahukura 55-22. The Mount side title dominated the age group/weight restricted preliminary title race, scoring 700 points and conceding 99s.

Te Puna beat Tauranga Sports 41-13 with Pāpāmoa defeating Te Puke Sports 39-12. Special mention should be accorded to Pāpāmoa, who finished in fourth place in the preliminary competition in their first foray into the age group/weight restricted competition.

BOPRU AR Plus Club Rugby Results

BOPRU Premiership: Whakarewarewa 30 Rangataua 14, Tauranga Sports 29 Te Puke Sports 26, Greerton Marist 12 Te Puna 12.

Points Table (Final) Te Puke Sports 61, Greerton Marist 53, Tauranga Sports 50, Whakarewarewa 45, Te Puna 41, Rangataua 25.

BOPRU championship final

Mount Maunganui 75 Judea 21.

BOPRU Colts/under 85kg

Mount Maunganui 55 Kahukura 22, Te Puna 41 Tauranga Sports 13, Pāpāmoa 39 Te Puke Sports 12, Greerton Marist the bye.

Points Table: Mount Maunganui 60, Te Puna 49, Greerton Marist 39, Pāpāmoa 27, Tauranga Sports 24, Te Puke Sports 13, Kahukura 10.

Western Bay Senior Men

Mount Maunganui 33, Te Puke Sports 7, Greerton Marist 28 Arataki 24, Tauranga Sports 29 Te Puna 24.