Try-scoring festival expected in Baywide final

Te Puke co-captain Luke Campbell in full cry. Photo: Chris James.

The best two teams will contest the Baywide Premier 1 final at Te Puke's Murray Salt Stadium from 2.45pm tomorrow.

Te Puke Sports host Te Puna in what is expected to be a highly-combative and entertaining clash, with two rugged packs and star-studded backlines that know how to create space to score tries.

Undoubtedly the cream has risen to the top in what has been a highly competitive Baywide series. Te Puna were the team to beat at the start of the season, comfortably winning the first round competition before finding the Championship round a tougher proposition.

Te Puke are unbeaten through the second-half of the competition and will go in to tomorrow's final as favourites - but not by a hefty margin. They have won two Baywide titles before and are in red-hot form.

Te Puna reached their first Baywide semi-final last week, so find themselves in untested territory. But this means they have nothing to lose, and they'll look to unleash their potent backline from all over the park.

Win or lose, they will not die wondering: 'What if we had been more imaginative?” In last weekend's highly impressive 39-17 win over Tauranga Sports they showed a magnificent defensive line to match the high stepping outside backs.

According to one old timer who has been watching the blue and black team since the 1960s, the match at Maramatanga Park in Te Puna attracted the biggest crowd ever seen at a club game there.

Te Puke eased past defending champions Mount Maunganui Sports 32-6, but had to work hard in the opening 40 minutes. They led by just 14-6 at the break but created so much pressure the young Mounties eventually cracked in the last quarter.

The Premier 1 development final between Te Puke and Te Puna is the curtain raiser at 1pm tomorrow. The fact the same two clubs feature in both finals is an indication of the depth of talent and how well the coaching strategies are working.

In Premier 2, Rangiuru travel away to Opotiki to contest the final after a fine win at Opotiki last Saturday. Rangataua Sports will host Rangiuru in the women's final on Sunday from 1pm at Te Ariki Park.

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