Rotoiti crushed in semifinal clash

TOUGH OPPOSITION: Rotoiti player Chanse Perham playing in the semifinal against Mount Maunganui on Saturday. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER.

After six months of frenetic action it will be Mount Maunganui Sports to host the Baywide Premier 1 final this Saturday against Rangataua Sports.

Mount Maunganui easily accounted for Rotoiti 62-7 in one semifinal played on Saturday, with Rangataua knocking out defending champions Tauranga Sports 24-16.

Mount's task was made easier by a Rotoiti player getting a red card early in the second spell and they scored nine tries in a one-sided romp that may not have been the best preparation for a tough final to come.

Despite the loss vice captain Joe Royal, who was out with a thumb injury, was not too disappointed with the defeat and said the "better side won on the day".

"We were beaten by a stronger team. They got a lot of momentum especially in the second half and made us pay.

"The Mount had some excellent plays, that they had clearly worked hard on and with a quick off load they caught us off guard."

Royal admitted he was "devastated" not to be able to feature for his club after sustaining a thumb injury a month ago.

"It was hard watching on from the sideline and I was incredibly disappointed not to finish my season off," he said.

"But those sort of things happen and I'm very proud of what they have achieved."

Rotoiti were unable to replicate their dramatic 27-21 victory over Mount Maunganui from the previous weekend which sealed their place in the final four.

But Royal praised his side and said the players had "exceeding expectation" this season.

"In many ways we have actually over achieved after battling hard in a very long competition," he said.

"We have gone above and beyond what many have expected from us and we can look back and be very happy with what we've accomplished."

Royal's focus is now turned to the Bay of Plenty Steamers, with fellow Rotoiti prop Siegfried Fisi'ihoi also being selected in the squad.

But Royal hopes he will once again have a key role to play for club side next season, in his fifth year with Rotoiti, and insisted the team are capable of mounting a series title challenge.

"I definitely think we can do even better. This is a very strong group of players," he said.

"We are very united and have been closer and tighter than a lot of other years.

"We just need to believe from the beginning that we are good enough to win."

With the Bay of Plenty Steamers playing a Mitre 10 Cup warm-up match against Northland in Whakatane on Friday none of those players are allowed to play finals rugby this weekend.

So Mount Maunganui will lose four players and Rangataua one from their semifinal teams.

Mount Maunganui will be favourites but there is no way you can right off this Rangataua side so there may well be one more twist in what has been an outstanding club season.

Additional reporting Peter White

Baywide semifinal rugby results:

Baywide Premier 1 Results:

Mount Maunganui Sports 62 Rotoiti 7

Rangataua 24 Tauranga Sports 16

Baywide Premier 2 Results:
Whakarewarewa 25 Arataki 8

Paroa 33 Poroporo 3

Baywide Development 1 Results:

Tauranga Sports 42 Te Puna 37

Mount Maunganui 8 Te Puke Sports 5

Baywide Development 2 Results:

Waikite 22 Poroporo 20

Opotiki won by default

Baywide Division 1 Results:

Te Teko 22 Rangiuru 20

Judea 37 Kahukura 15

Baywide Division 2 Results:
Waimana 51 Matata 5

Murupara 32 Eastern Districts 15