Te Puke captain Joe Johnston was his side’s player of the day.
Te Puke captain Joe Johnston was his side’s player of the day.
Some desperate defence and a little bit of luck saw Te Puke Sports take the narrowest of wins at Whakarewarewa on Saturday.
After taking a 21-20 lead with 10 minutes to go thanks to a converted try by Fletcher Carpenter, it was all hands to the pump as Whaka pressed for a winning score.
Denied on the line out wide, the hosts then had three chances to clinch the win — two kickable penalties and a drop goal attempt — with one penalty attempt hitting the upright.
Te Puke took an early lead thanks to tries to Jack Hollinshead and Matty Stewart, both converted by Carpenter.
Whaka stayed in touch with two penalties for a 14-6 half time score.
The hosts came out firing in the second half and put themselves into a 20-14 lead before Carpenter struck on the left, then landed a tricky conversion to put the Pirates in front by one point.
Te Puke’s blindside flanker Jairi Qaqa runs into the teeth of the Whakarewarewa defence.
Skipper Joe Johnston was the Te Puke Sports player of the day.
The win puts Te Puke into the top four for the first time this season.
Te Puke’s next assignment is against table toppers Te Puna who have maximum points after another win at the weekend, this time against Mount Maunganui in a replay of last season’s Baywide grand final.
Playing at home, Te Puna scored first, when Tongan flyer Uliti Uilou grabbed a touchdown out wide, in the opening five minutes. Te Puna posted two further five pointers, with the visitors coming back with a try near halftime, to see the hosts led 22-5 at the break.
Mount Maunganui scored first in the second spell before Te Puna asserted their superiority to take out a 41-17 win.
Greerton Marist tasted defeat for the first time this season when Rangataua came from behind at the break, to post a 33-24 victory.
Tauranga Sports defeated Ngongotaha 34-7, while Marist St Michael’s posted their first win of the competition by getting past Judea 41-19.
In Colts action, Mount Maunganui won their fifth straight AR Plus competition encounter, with a 66-5 victory over Te Puke Sports.
The Mount victory took their scoring average to 57 points per game.
Greerton Marist beat Tauranga Sports 39-17 and Te Puna dispatched Kahukura 22-7, in the two other age-group matches.
Te Puke’s Taine Craig-Ranga makes a break.
Greerton continued their lead at the top of the standings in the Western Bay of Plenty senior men’s competition, after defeating Rangataua 30-24. Pāpāmoa beat Katikati by a solitary point 20-19 with Arataki squeezing past Eastern Districts 17-10. Mount Maunganui, Te Puke Sports and Rangiuru also banked the win points on offer.
Te Puke’s women’s side won 36-29 at Opotiki and are on the road again next Sunday when they travel to Galatea.
Greerton Marist v Pāpāmoa, Te Puke Sports v Te Puna, Kahukura v Tauranga Sports, Mount Maunganui the bye.
WBOPRFS senior men’s — 1pm
Judea v Mount Maunganui, Matakana Island v Papamoa, Te Puke Sports v Te Puna, Rangataua v Tauranga Sports, Greerton Marist v Katikati, Rangiuru v Eastern Districts, Arataki the bye.
