Rugby: Opotiki kill off Te Puke in thriller

Aryahn Clarke of Te Puke (right) tries to fend off Tia Kenesa of Opotiki. Photo / George Novak

Opotiki College has edged Te Puke High School in a thrilling conclusion to the Bay of Plenty secondary school girls' rugby competition.

The Eastern Bay of Plenty side, led admirably by impressive Volcanix player Luka Connor, proved just too strong in what many at the ground believed to be the finest girls' final on record.

The quality of the play of both teams came as a shock to those who had not seen either in action this season, with the intensity of the physicality well worthy of a final.

Te Puke took a 15-12 lead into the break courtesy of their flyers out wide.

The impressive Clarkes - Unique and Aryahn - each dotted down in thrilling backward movements predicated on getting the ball to the outside, while lock Skye Whareaorere also crashed over from close range after repeat phases.

Aryahn was particularly dangerous - palming players off in the manner of South Sydney Rabbitohs superstar Greg Inglis on more than one occasion - and will be one to watch in the coming years.

Opotiki looked out on their feet at the end of the half after losing a player to the sinbin, but came out full of running in the second half.

Ngarangi Ruri-Te Rupi and Connor inspired an aggressive forward pack directed well by halfback Leah Wilson, allowing Opotiki to limit space on the outside.

They erred once, allowing first five-eighth Tamia Dinsdale to drift across field to find standout fullback Sapphire Tapsell in enough space to power over out wide, but generally stood up admirably against a late Te Puke onslaught.

The teams swapped tries after the break to make it 20-19 to Te Puke with 15 minutes to play, before Grace Callaghan displayed courage under fire to score a fine team try in the lefthand corner.

Te Puke were unable to hit back despite laying siege to the Opotiki line in the final minutes, but contributed mightily to a fantastic final that created a real buzz at Blake Park.

Honourable mention must go to diminutive Te Puke halfback Shaye Whareaorere, who played like a lion in the face of a daunting onslaught from the Opotiki forward pack. Western Heights won the playoff for third 20-15 over Taupo-nui-a-Tia, Rotorua Girls' fell to Trident 34-20 in the fifth placed playoff and Tauranga Girls' lost 10-20 to Rotorua Lakes in the playoff for ninth.

Whakatane High School were awarded seventh place by default.

The final score

• Opotiki College 24 — (Ngarangi Ruri-Te Rupi, Grace Callaghan, Leah Wilson, Natalia Collier tries; Callaghan con, Kamryn Harrison con)

• Te Puke High School 19 — (Clarke, Sapphire Tapsell, Aryahn Clarke, Skye Whareaorere tries).