Rugby: Rotoiti stay on top in tight tussle

Rotoiti maintained their position at the top of the Baywide premier club rugby competition with a hard-fought 19-13 win over Te Puna on Saturday.

The top of the table clash in the Western Bay lived up to its billing as a game of attrition, with no quarter asked or given - Rotoiti reduced to 13 men for the final 10 minutes of the match.

The halftime score of six-all told the story of both sides' stern defence keeping the opposition attacks at bay. The first-half points came from two penalties apiece from Rotoiti's Whakataki Cunningham and Te Puna new premier recruit Villi Tia.

Ten minutes into the second half Whakataki Cunningham put his side into the lead with a penalty goal.

With 10 minutes remaining a Rotoiti breakout resulted in Matt Landers finishing the attack when he touched the ball down.

The conversion and a further Rotoiti penalty stretched the visitors' lead to 10 points, before Te Puna youngster Te Aihi Toma started a move that saw Tapene Mika cross for the try.

The matched ended with Cunningham slotting his fourth penalty goal to give Rotoiti a 19-13 victory and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

The home side picked up a bonus point courtesy of finishing within seven points of the visitors.

Rotoiti player/co-coach Wayne Ormond was happy to have come through the "pretty physical game" with a win.

"It could have gone either way but we were lucky it went our way," he said.

With two men being sent off, Ormond admitted his side would need to work on their discipline ahead of their next match, against Opotiki.

Discipline aside, Ormond was pleased with how his team performed away from home in what he described as a tough competition.

"The senior players pulled off a big game," he said.

"There's extra pressure playing away but they weathered it."

Defending Premier champions Te Puke Sports ran riot over Greerton Marist at Te Puke headquarters, with an emphatic 68-7 victory.

Two tries apiece to Simon Chisholm, Fred Ovrabah and Mark Nicolaas, who came on in the second spell, led the way for the home side with Chub Hale, Ryan Lambert, Mike Flood and Ben Ward also dotting the ball down. Nick McCashin had his kicking boots on, converting nine of the Te Puke tries.

Tauranga Sports posted their first win of the season, when they took out the Western Bay battle of the bridge 25-10 against Mount Maunganui.

Opotiki continued their sterling start to the season racing away from Rangataua 45-5 in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

On Friday, Whakarewarewa withstood a spirited challenge from neighbours Waikite before banking a 26-24 victory.