Rotoiti on the hunt for Te Puna

The Bay of Plenty men's division of the Baywide club rugby competition hits the halfway mark when the games kick off this afternoon and Rotoiti are looking to claim victory over their rivals Te Puna.

In the men's premier one division Rotoiti will be on the hunt to get their first win on the board following a narrow loss to Tauranga Sports and two draws against Whakatane Marist and Rangataua.


There will be plenty of rugby action on the fields today as the latest round of the Baywide kicks off this afternoon. Photo: Supplied.

However Te Puna suffered their first loss of the season last weekend against Rangataua, so they won't be making it easy for the lakesiders. Rotoiti and Steamers hooker Joseph Royal says his team are looking forward to the clash.

'We are doing alright we have come off two draws and a loss to Tauranga on the weekend. While we have things to work on, we have progressed since round one which is good to see.”

'The last time we played Te Puna they killed us around the loose ball, so any quick turnovers they will pounce on they will run. So with this in mind we are going to have to minimise our mistakes like dropping the ball and giving away penalties. If we can fix that part of our game we should be ok, but it is going to be tough,” Joe says.

He further highlights the key focus for their team today.

'Ensuring we have a bit more cohesion between ourselves. Getting back to playing a 15 man game, rather than a forwards and backs game.

'If we can play like we have done against Whakatane Marist and Rangataua, then we should be ok. Those were probably some of our best team performances even though they were draws.”

Te Puna coach Daniel Quate says they will be looking to improve on last weekend's performance.

'The boys were bitterly disappointed with last weekend's efforts. To Rangataua's credit, they played extremely well in tough conditions and thoroughly deserved the win.

'We regrouped well on Tuesday, had a good honest assessment of the season so far and trained with a bit of purpose,” says Daniel.

'We are expecting another tough one [today], and they have a big mobile pack. We'll be looking for a step up in accuracy and intent from our last outing. It's a must win game for us.”

The game is being played at Emery Park, kick off at 2.45pm.

In the second round of the Baywide Premier Two competition, Arataki will return home to take on a resurgent Opotiki side. Arataki coach Marty Bourke says the team will be looking to play a direct style of game.

'The weather will play a factor in this weekend's games so I guess the team who makes the least errors will gain the advantage.”

He says after the heavy loss against Whakarewarewa the team have come together and reasserted their goals what is required to survive and play premier rugby in 2017.

'We need to start performing both individually and as a team, the key focus for us will be retaining possession and putting them under pressure.

'Last weekend we fell off too many basic tackles giving Whaka front-foot ball constantly so we can't repeat against Opotiki who have a number of threats across the park.”

Opotiki had a tough first round, however since being in the Baywide Premier two division, they have lifted in confidence and recorded their first win of the season.

With a young side eager to impress, this weekend's match provides them with the opportunity to continue to build on previous performances and upset home town favourites. The game is being played at Arataki Park, kick off at 2.45pm.

This Weeks draw:

Baywide Premier 1:

Greerton Marist v Tauranga Sports at Greerton Park Mount Maunganui v Whakatane Marist at Blake Park Rotoiti Premiers v Te Puna at Emery Park Te Puke Sports v Rangataua at Murray Salt Stadium Premier kick off 2.45pm Development

Kick off 1pm.

Baywide Premier 2:

Ngongotaha v Paroa at Ngongotaha Domain Marist St Michael's v Waikite at Marist Park Whakarewarewa v Poroporo at Puarenga Park Arataki v Opotiki at Arataki Park Premier kick off 2.45pm Development

Kick off 1.00pm.

Baywide Premier Women's:

Tauranga Sports v Waikite at Tauranga Domain

Kick off 2.45pm.

Baywide Division One:

Edgecumbe v Kahukura at Edgecumbe Domain Papamoa v Rangiuru at Gordon Spratt Reserve Ruatoki v Judea at Tuhoe Park Katikati v Te Teko at Moore Park

Kick off 2.45pm.

Baywide Premier Women's Semi Finals: Tomorrow

Tokoroa v Waimana at Memorial Sports Ground Waikite v Rangiuru at Bellvue Road Kick off 1pmFor the latest draws and results click here.

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