Rugby: Baywide scramble for points continues

Whakarewarewa's Reuben Edwards in action against Arataki at Puarenga Park last Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

With just 10 points separating the top 10 sides in the Baywide Premier competition, round eight will be another scramble for tries and wins.

Whakarewarewa and Rotoiti both travel to Tauranga to take on defending champions Rangataua and Arataki respectively tomorrow.

Arataki and Rotoiti are on 17 points but, with Rotoiti's game against Paroa abandoned after just 18 minutes last week because of injury to Rotoiti prop Arapo Whata, the Rotorua side have a game in hand.

The abandonment was precautionary and Rotoiti co-coach Richard Francis said fortunately the injury to Whata was not as bad as first feared.

"He's fine. He's just got a badly bruised lower back but he's up and walking around. He's still got a bit of pain and taking painkillers, but it wasn't serious and that was the main thing for us."

Whata is Francis' only injury absence this week.

"We should be able to field a strong team."

With four of the 12 premiership teams culled after 11 rounds, every match was critical, said Francis.

"We have to take them one at a time. [Arataki] are right behind us on the table, but we have got that game in hand. If we had got five points last Saturday we would have gone fourth ahead of Whaka - that's how tight it is and that's the difference between eighth and fourth - it's all pretty close.

''It means we are playing for survival like everyone else so we will try and get maximum points."

Arataki have already claimed the scalp of the defending champions, but have lost their last two games.

"But everybody in this division is hard at home and we will be expecting to have a good hard game."

Whakarewarewa's opponents and defending champions Rangataua have looked far from invincible this season, having lost three, but Whaka co-coach Joe Savage is not reading anything into what has happened so far.

"I'm not really surprised about where they are, they were pretty slow starters last year as well, but they managed to bring it together towards the back end of the season and obviously made it to the final. I'm more excited about going there and hopefully beating the reigning champions."

Savage said he expected Rangataua to be a better team than last week's opponents, Arataki.

"We have been focusing on developing how we played last weekend. We had deficiencies in terms of our tackle and our contact and we've been looking to rectify that on Tuesday and Thursday [at training]. We've got more of an emphasis on that area of the game and not so much on our set piece. We know we have the ability to attack from wherever, it's just a matter of putting in those finishing touches.''

Whaka are currently on 21 points, one ahead of Rangataua and four behind leaders Te Puna.

Fixtures: Premier kick-off: 2.45pm. Development kick-off: 1pm
Arataki v Rotoiti at Arataki Park
Tauranga Sports v Mount Maunganui at Tauranga Domain
Poroporo v Te Puke Sports at Poroporo Park
Paroa v Te Puna at Lawson Park
Rangataua v Whakarewarewa at Te Ariki Park
Whakatane Marist v Greerton Marist at Rugby Park
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