Rugby: Hopes slim despite Whakarewarewa form surge

LOCAL DERBY: Rotoiti player Cory Marsters takes on some Waikite defenders during their clash at Bellvue Rd on Saturday.PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Despite a recent return to form for Whakarewarewa, the Rotorua rugby club will need other teams to slip up if they are to make the playoffs this season.

The Baywide premier rugby ladder is taking shape with only two rounds left to go before the semifinals

Undefeated sides Tauranga Sports and Te Puke are runaway leaders in the competition and have both secured their place in the playoffs. That means the focus turns to the race for the other two spots in the playoffs, currently being contested between Whakarewarewa, Rotoiti and Mount Maunganui.

All three of those teams won with a bonus point on Saturday which did not help fifth-placed Whakarewarewa.

Fourth-placed Rotoiti were given a few worries by fellow Rotorua club Waikite at Bellvue Rd on Saturday but eventually came away with a bonus-point victory 33-5. Meanwhile, third-placed Mount Maunganui trailed at halftime against Rangataua but had a better second half, winning the match 32-27.

Whakarewarewa almost dropped out of the playoffs race completely after trailing 19-14 after 40 minutes at home against Te Puna, before piling on the points in the second half and winning 46-26. Whaka star TeRangi Fraser, who leads the Baywide try-scoring stakes, added another touchdown in the second half to take his season tally to 17 tries.

Whaka are three points behind Rotoiti and six points behind Mount Maunganui on the ladder with two games to go. Mount have the toughest run home though, with matches against Greerton and Tauranga Sports to come.

In other matches on Saturday, Tauranga Sports grabbed their ninth successive bonus-point win, for four tries or better, as they ended surging past Whakatane Marist 54-22.

Te Puke Sports had an armwrestle with Greerton Marist in the first half and trailed 10-12 at the break. The 2011 and 2012 Baywide champions, Te Puke, dug deep in the second spell to take home a 41-22 victory.

Opotiki had plenty to celebrate on Saturday evening after grabbing their third win of the season, when they won the Eastern Bay derby, defeating Paroa 19-5.

-Premier points table (provisional): Tauranga Sports 45, Te Puke Sports 42, Mount Maunganui 35, Rotoiti 32, Whakarewarewa 29, Greerton Marist 21, Rangataua 17, Te Puna 17, Whakatane Marist 16, Opotiki 14, Paroa 5, Waikite 0.

See results, below.