Baywide Premier 1 hotting up as Tauranga beat Te Puke

TRY TIME: Tauranga players celebrate the crucial try scored by Alan McRobbie, second left. Te Puke captain Luke Campbell looks dejected. PHOTO: ANDREW WARNER

Saturday's win was about as ugly as it gets but you will not hear anyone in the Tauranga Sports camp complaining.

After two losses and a draw in the Baywide Premier 1 competition it was crisis time against Te Puke Sports at Tauranga Domain. Despite being on the wrong end of all the match statistics Tauranga managed to hold on for a 12-10 win.

The second half was dour and scoreless which was a reflection of how poor Te Puke's finishing was, with unforced errors and an inability to throw the ball into the lineout straight costing them dearly.

But it was Tauranga's day and although lacking possession and territory they did score the only two tries in the game, which came directly from Te Puke turnovers.

The first was the best movement of the match and started just short of Tauranga's line when Te Puke spilt the ball when driving for a try.

It was hard to tell whether the ball was won fairly or was knocked on but Tauranga counter-attacked as they do so well. The ball whisked through five pairs of hands before some clever play from fullback Josh Honey was finished off by Charlie Lawrence.

Hooker Alan McRobbie scored the second not long after to give his team a 12-9 halftime lead.

It is rare indeed to watch a scoreless half of rugby and everyone at the Domain will be hoping they don't have to again.

But despite the lack of scoring opportunities created there was plenty to like about the physicality shown by both teams and particularly the defence of the Tauranga team. Wave after wave of raids by the Te Puke Pirates were turned away in a display of guts and determination to be applauded.

Tauranga No 8 Ajay Mua stood out in the tough, physical encounters and last year's New Zealand Secondary Schools player looks more than capable of stepping up a level or two.

The major blight on the game was the petulant pushing and shoving after the whistle that became tiresome by the end. Players need to show more discipline if they want to make Bay of Plenty rep teams.

Tauranga coach Zane Winslade was smiling afterwards and was quick to praise the character shown by his players when under the pump in the second half.

"We defended outstandingly today and that was the key to the win really. Every time we had the ball we seem to give it back to them pretty quickly so we can put the win down to that defence and the hunger and desperation," Winslade said.

"We have scored loads of tries already in this round so the work on D was the massive work-on through the week and they did it."

In other Premier 1 games Mount Maunganui beat Whakarewarewa 54-19 to jump to the top of the table after leaders Rotoiti lost 27-17 at Rangataua Sports. Te Puna held on at home to beat Greerton Marist 26-22.