Rugby: Te Puke thrashed but still top

Siegfried Fisiihoi palms off Te Puke's Sipa Moimoi in Whakarewarewa's 67-17 rout at Puarenga Park on Saturday.Photo/Ben Fraser

To the untrained eye Te Puke looked ordinary. Newcomers to Baywide rugby would no doubt have thought Whakarewarewa were the table leaders after a display of dominance and delivering try after try at Puarenga Park on Saturday.

In fact Whaka, who ran out 67-19 winners, are still sitting fourth after third-placed Tauranga thrashed Rotoiti at Emery Park.

Te Puke maintain their grip on the top.

Whaka revelled in the upset, a cheeky 50-metre solo run from Kimo Houltham in one of the final tries was lapped up by the small crowd.

"It's awesome to know we can beat the best team on the table," Whaka coach Ngarimu Simpkins said.

"We've always had the belief in the club [that we could], especially that we're a quality side. For us coming into our form at the right end of the season is good. We didn't expect to win by that margin but we did expect to win."

Whaka opened the scoring in the opening minutes, with Te Rangi Fraser chalking up to tries within three minutes.

Fraser missed out on Steamers selection but has been told by Bay of Plenty officials that he will get some support from them. He scored 30 of Whaka's points, going head to head with the first five who made it into the Steamers squad.

"The fact the Bay talked to him has given him a bit of confidence, that he's being looked at," said Simpkins.

"He wants to wear the Bay jersey one day. He played like a first class first five needs to be playing."

With tries from seven different Whaka players it was a rounded home performance, in what were windy - and challenging - conditions.

Te Puke coach Craig Jeffries said Whaka's key players stepped up.

"We didn't get off the bus, it's fair to say.

"Whaka were good, as simple as that, and we were less than our best. It's a competitive competition and you're going to get found out if you're not 100 per cent. The fact we're leading the competition is good but it only means we've won more. The competition's not decided now."

Meanwhile Rotoiti lost 69-5 to Tauranga. Rotoiti coach Kevin Lee said he was pleased with his team's effort.

"We had a lot of new ones who had never played at this level before. They played with the gusto we were after."

Curtis Deanes got Rotoiti's only try, a 50m effort midway through the second half.

Baywide rugby results for Saturday:

Premier: Greerton Marist 38 Rangataua 10, Mount Maunganui 49 Opotiki 0, Whakarewarewa 67 Te Puke 17, Rotoiti 5 Tauranga 69, Rangiuru 20 Te Puna 37.

Development: Greerton Marist 68 Rangataua 38, Mount Maunganui 5 Opotiki 34, Whakarewarewa 29 Te Puke 68, Rotoiti 0 Tauranga 103, Rangiuru 12 Te Puna 28.

Division 1: Arataki 36 Te Teko 17, Kahukura 18 Waikite 17, Marist St Michael 17 Whakatane Marist 21, Paroa 32 Ngongotaha 30, Poroporo 34 Katikati 0.