Waikite women book final spot with convincing win

SPEEDSTER: Waikite's Autumn-Rain Stephens races away for her second try of the game against Waimana in the women's semifinal at Bellvue Rd on Sunday. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Waikite will host the Baywide Premier women's rugby final this weekend, after a convincing win over Waimana in the semifinals.

The composure and confidence they played with in their 36-12 victory at home on Sunday highlighted the progress they have made this season.

Waikite suffered an early setback when, in the first minute of the game, first five-eighth Dolly Roberts charged a kick down but injured her shoulder attempting to re-gather it.

Roberts has been one of the form players in the competition in recent weeks and desperately tried to battle through the pain for her team, but was ultimately forced to leave the field.

Fortunately for Waikite, Jamie Tautari stepped up and had an outstanding game, choosing the right option more often than not on attack and getting her side out of trouble with a booming kicking game.

It was Waimana who took the lead 10 minutes into the game. They were awarded a penalty in front of the posts and opted to kick for goal.

However, the ball came back off the post and Waikite attempted to run it out of their own 22. Waimana turned it over, shifted the ball left and scored.

Waikite hit back after a period of sustained pressure inside the Waimana 22. They worked the ball side to side before flanker Sequoia Autumn charged through a gap to score.

Ten minutes later it was another loose forward who got in on the action. Number eight Jamie Haumaha was rewarded for some excellent support play when she received an offload from Luka Connor and shot through a gap to give her side the lead.

Waikite extended the lead through a penalty goal before adding another converted try to Autumn-Rain Stephens and led comfortably 24-7 at halftime.

Waimana started the second half strongly and scored a try early on to make it 24-12.

Image 1 of 5: Waikite's Autumn Stephens on her way to a try. Photo/Ben Fraser

They continued to pile on the pressure and had Waikite camped inside their own 22 but the home team defended their tryline desperately with great scrambling defence.

Waikite absorbed the pressure and with 15 minutes to go cleared the ball before forcing a turnover near halfway with some determined work at the breakdown.

Speed is a valuable commodity and Stephens has it in bucket loads - she received the ball on the left wing and with open pasture in front of her she bulleted her way to the tryline for her second of the game.

With 10 minutes left Luka Connor sealed the deal when she took off down the blindside, from the back of a ruck and scored in the right-hand corner to make it 36-12.

Waikite coach Shane Wilson said he was "really proud" of his team.

"We went away from our structure a bit at the start of the second half which let them back in.

"But the girls fought hard, got the ball back and played our kicking game - kicking into corners and playing for territory," Wilson said.

He said Reegan Ford, one of the team's younger players, had to play in the centres and "really stepped up".

"I was proud of her, the way she played, she tackled well and passed well - everything you need to do to win a game.

"Waimana definitely brought it, they've got some big girls and scored a couple of good tries themselves."

Waikite will host Rangataua, who won their semifinal against Rangiuru 24-19, in the final on Sunday.