Baywide Rugby: Te Puke Sports hand Te Puna first defeat

Brad Armstrong was one of Te Puke Sports’ try scorers on Saturday. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

Te Puke inflicted Te Puna’s first defeat of the Baywide Premier Men’s Rugby season with an emphatic 48-21 win at Murray Salt Stadium on Saturday.

Te Puke were 19 points to the good before Te Puna troubled the scoreboard operators.

Hooker Matty Stewart went over in the sixth minute, with Grady Forbes doubling Te Puke’s score eight minutes later. Kase Meyer scored the third with Fletcher Carpenter converting two of the three opening tries.

Te Puna responded with two converted tries of their own before Forbes and Carpenter added seven more points between them to make the halftime score 26-14.

The hosts piled on more points in the second half with tries to Brad Armstrong, Meyer’s second and Jaiari Qaqa, Fletcher added two conversions and a penalty.

Elsewhere, Mount Maunganui also scored 48 points to beat Judea 48-29, Whakarewarewa bounced back from their one-point loss to Te Puke the previous week, accounting for Ngongotahā 38-27, table toppers Tauranga Sports beat Rangataua 61-28 and Greerton Marist scored 49 points and kept Marist St Michaels pointless.

In the Bay of Plenty Colts competition, Pāpāmoa narrowly missed out on their third win of the season, going down 24-22 at Greerton and Te Puke Sports lost 29-0 at home to Te Puna.

The Western Bay senior men’s derby between Rangiuru and Eastern Districts saw Rangiuru victorious 27-17. Pāpāmoa returned from Matakana Island with just a bonus point after a 21-16 loss and Te Puke Sports lost 15-12 to Te Puna.

Te Puke’s next opponents are Mount Maunganui at Blake Park. Kickoff is at 2.45pm on Saturday, with the clubs’ development sides facing off at 1pm. Te Puke Sports Colts are away to Pāpāmoa. Kickoff is at 1pm.

Rangiuru will visit Arataki in the senior men’s competition and Eastern Districts host Pāpāmoa. Both games kick off at 1pm.

Te Puke’s women’s team are hitting their straps and scored a 71-12 away victory at Galatea last Sunday. Next Sunday, Te Puke Sports’ women host Te Puna at Murray Salt Stadium. Kickoff is at 1pm.

Results

Baywide Colts: Greerton Marist 24-22 Pāpāmoa, Te Puna 29-0 Te Puke Sports, Tauranga Sports 26-24 Kahukura, Mount Maunganui - Bye.

Western BOP Senior Mens: Mount Maunganui 80-7 Judea, Matakana Island 21-16 Pāpāmoa, Te Puna 15-12 Te Puke Sports, Tauranga Sports 17-10 Rangataua, Greerton Marist 38-7 Katikati, Rangiuru 27-17 Eastern Districts, Arataki - bye.

Baywide women: Championship: Galatea 12 Te Puke Sports 71.