Rugby: Top eight taking shape in Baywide Premier

Rotoiti will look for more scenes like this against Te Puke this weekend. Photo/File

Every point counts as the Baywide Premier rugby competition nears the end of round one.

There are three weekends left in round one, after which the top eight sides break off to play in a Premier 1 round robin. The bottom four will join the top four from Division One to play in Premier 2.

Rotoiti sit in second place and have already secured a spot in top eight. Whakarewarewa are in eighth place, but are nine points ahead of ninth placed Arataki meaning another win from the next three games should be enough to go through. Ngongotaha are in 10th place and, mathematically, can still make the top eight, but would need other results to go there way.

This weekend Rotoiti travel to Te Puke where coach Richard Francis said they would take the opportunity to mix things up.

"We're trying a few new combinations because we know we're safe in the eight, so we have the luxury of being able to try things out. Rotoiti haven't been in this position for awhile, usually we're fighting for our lives.

"We didn't play well against Rangataua [last week], we were lucky to come away with the win. Rangataua, as everyone is this year, turned up to play us. We just scraped in with a fourth try with five minutes to go. I told the boys 'take confidence from coming away with a win, but if we want to compete in the next round we need to stick to the plan'," Francis said.

He expected fourth placed Te Puke to come out firing at home.

"Te Puke have been going really well, they've been beating teams by quite big scores. They got a few players back, they didn't start the season well but they look like they're getting back to full strength.

"It's pretty hard going over there too, I don't think Rotoiti have beaten them in two or three years at Murray Salt Stadium. What we have to do is stick to our plan and our structures," he said.

Meanwhile, Whakarewarewa host fourth placed Greerton at Puarenga Park.

Whakarewarewa coach Joe Savage said his side paid the price for a slow start in a 46-14 loss to Te Puna last weekend and would look to turn that around against Greerton.

"We started really slow and came into it more at the end of the first half and start of the second half. Unfortunately a few calls didn't go our way and the guys were a bit disheartened towards the end and didn't pounce on the opportunities they had, while Te Puna did," Savage said.

Despite nearing a top eight finish, he said they were still taking things one game at a time.

"We try not to rest on that, this weekend is going to be crucial in terms of the way we build. I believe that we haven't played the worst rugby that we could, but it's a bit disheartening when we train so hard and believe we could go a lot better, but it just doesn't go our way.

"This weekend we'll be looking for a stronger start and a different mental ability. The guys recognise that and it's up our drivers and leaders on the field, at the end of the day, to try and get each other up and get the best out of each other."

Ngongotaha face a daunting trip to Mount Maunganui this week, where a bonus point win is almost a necessity if they want to make the eight. They come into this game on the back of a 38-14 loss to Tauranga Sports last week.

Farmlands Co-operative Baywide Club Rugby Draw

Premier
Saturday
Premier Kickoff: 2.45pm
Development Kickoff: 1pm

Whakatane Marist v Tauranga Sports at Rugby Park
Mount Maunganui v Ngongotaha at Blake Park
Rangataua v Paroa at Te Ariki Park
Whakarewarewa v Greerton Marist at Puarenga Park
Te Puke Sports v Rotoiti at Murray Salt
Arataki v Te Puna at Arataki Park

Division One
Saturday
Kickoff: 2.45pm

Judea v Waimana at Maharaia Winiata Memorial Park
Ruatoki v Marist St Michaels at Tuhoe Park
Murupara v Poroporo at Ngati Manawa
Kahukura v Te Teko and Kuirau Park
Waikite v Rangiuru at Bellevue Road
Opotiki v Papamoa at Princess St Reserve