Tauranga lost to Auckland West 20 points to 12 in their Roller Mills clash against Auckland at Tauranga Domain.

The half-time score was 10-7 and full-time was 20-12.

Bay of Plenty player Thomas Murray-Edward, 12, fending off an Auckland West player.

Roller Mills head coach for the Bay of Plenty Cliff Honey says the loss was a bit disappointing 'but I think we gave the other team a bit of a shock”.

'They had been winning by big margins but we actually played a bit better.”

Cliff says normally they have nine weeks to prepare boys before the tournament but we only had about six weeks this time.

'We're getting better with the more games played and we are getting better.

'Unfortunately, our game plan wasn't what the boys took onto the field, they took something a little bit different, but you can't control that with 11 to 12-year-olds.”

The next stage for the team is their game against Thames Valley next Saturday in Paeroa and then a by a week after that. Then it's the semi-finals and finals.

'We still have some players who still play individual rugby and that showed today but we have to knock that out of them so we play more as a team.

'Once we do that we will be a very dangerous side.”