Te Waiariki look ahead after losing last Pro 4 game

LEADER: Te Waiariki Maori first five Whakataki Cunningham was in fine form before being forced from the field with a back injury against Bay of Plenty Samoa. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

Te Waiariki Maori have finished the Baywide Pro 4 series with one win and two losses, after going down 29-12 against Bay of Plenty Samoa yesterdayin Paengaroa.

However, for the Maori side the series was always about working on combinations and preparing for the Te Hiku Maori rugby tournament in October.

Coach Murray Sturt said his side played well in patches against Bay of Plenty Samoa but were unable to do it for 80 minutes.

"They had a lot of experienced players, but credit to our boys they stayed in the fight. They were a big strong pack and we didn't keep in the fight long enough," Sturt said.

He said there were several players who stood out for his team.

"Pete Smith, from Whakatane Marist stood out for us, Kelly Haimona and Whakataki [Cunningham] was playing really well until he injured his back.

"When he went off our game lost its flow and went a bit pear-shaped, but the guys who came off the bench did really well. Whakataki's back got twisted the wrong way, he wanted to stay on as long as he could.

"Corban Selwyn, from Waikite, came off the bench and played really well, he didn't shy away from anything, he was great.

"Pete and Kelly led really well. Pete is an openside flanker and we put a lot of onus on him to chop the team down and if the ball was passed just carry on - and he does, he got through an abundance of work. As he has done for the last three weeks," he said.

Te Waiariki's squad depth will be improved as Maori players from the sub-unions look to join the team and will now go into full preparation mode for the Maori tournament.

They continue their build-up to the Te Hiku Maori rugby tournament with a game against Counties Manukau Maori on September 17.

"Whakataki will probably miss that game, but when we get to the tournament we'll be ready to hit the ground running with him," Sturt said.

The game will be played at the Rotorua International Stadium and spectators will be asked for a gold coin donation, with all the money collected going to the Edgecumbe Relief Fund.

Bay of Plenty representative rugby results:

Mitre 10 Cup:
Bay of Plenty Steamers 10 v Wellington 31

Mitre 10 Farah Palmer Cup:
Bay of Plenty Volcanix 10 v Auckland 10

Bay of Plenty Under-19 34 v Waikato Under-19 29

Baywide Pro 4 Series:
Western Bay of Plenty won by default v Eastern Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty Samoa 29 v Te Waiariki 12

Bay of Plenty Under-16 0 v Waikato Under-16 18