Some desperate defence and a little bit of luck saw Te Puke Sports take the narrowest of wins at Whakarewarewa on Saturday.

After taking a 21-20 lead with 10 minutes to go thanks to a converted try by Fletcher Carpenter, it was all hands to the pump as Whaka pressed for a winning score.

Denied on the line out wide, the hosts then had three chances to clinch the win — two kickable penalties and a drop goal attempt — with one penalty attempt hitting the upright.

Te Puke took an early lead thanks to tries to Jack Hollinshead and Matty Stewart, both converted by Carpenter.

Whaka stayed in touch with two penalties for a 14-6 half time score.

The hosts came out firing in the second half and put themselves into a 20-14 lead before Carpenter struck on the left, then landed a tricky conversion to put the Pirates in front by one point.

Te Puke’s blindside flanker Jairi Qaqa runs into the teeth of the Whakarewarewa defence.

Skipper Joe Johnston was the Te Puke Sports player of the day.

The win puts Te Puke into the top four for the first time this season.

Te Puke’s next assignment is against table toppers Te Puna who have maximum points after another win at the weekend, this time against Mount Maunganui in a replay of last season’s Baywide grand final.

Playing at home, Te Puna scored first, when Tongan flyer Uliti Uilou grabbed a touchdown out wide, in the opening five minutes. Te Puna posted two further five pointers, with the visitors coming back with a try near halftime, to see the hosts led 22-5 at the break.

Mount Maunganui scored first in the second spell before Te Puna asserted their superiority to take out a 41-17 win.

Greerton Marist tasted defeat for the first time this season when Rangataua came from behind at the break, to post a 33-24 victory.

Tauranga Sports defeated Ngongotaha 34-7, while Marist St Michael’s posted their first win of the competition by getting past Judea 41-19.

In Colts action, Mount Maunganui won their fifth straight AR Plus competition encounter, with a 66-5 victory over Te Puke Sports.

The Mount victory took their scoring average to 57 points per game.

Greerton Marist beat Tauranga Sports 39-17 and Te Puna dispatched Kahukura 22-7, in the two other age-group matches.

Te Puke’s Taine Craig-Ranga makes a break.

Greerton continued their lead at the top of the standings in the Western Bay of Plenty senior men’s competition, after defeating Rangataua 30-24. Pāpāmoa beat Katikati by a solitary point 20-19 with Arataki squeezing past Eastern Districts 17-10. Mount Maunganui, Te Puke Sports and Rangiuru also banked the win points on offer.

Te Puke’s women’s side won 36-29 at Opotiki and are on the road again next Sunday when they travel to Galatea.

RESULTS

BOPRU Baywide Premier

Te Puna 41 Mount Maunganui 17 (22-5) Marist St Michael’s 41 Judea 19, Tauranga Sports 34 Ngongotahā 7 (17-7) Te Puke 21 Whakarewarewa 20 (14-6) Rangataua 33 Greerton Marist 24 (13-14).

Points Table (Provisional) Te Puna 20, Tauranga Sports 16, Te Puke Sports 14, Greerton Marist 14, Whakarewarewa 14, Rangataua 10, Mount Maunganui 7, Marist St Michael’s 5, Judea 0, Ngongotahā 0.

BOPRU Colts/U85kg

Greerton Marist 39 Tauranga Sports 17, Mount Maunganui 66 Te Puke Sports 5, Te Puna 22 Kahukura 7, Papamoa the bye.

WBOPRFS senior men’s

Mount Maunganui 34 Te Puna 19, Rangiuru 62 Judea 33, Te Puke Sports 40, Matakana Island 17, Greerton Marist 30 Rangataua 24, Arataki 17 Eastern Districts 10, Pāpāmoa 20 Katikati 19, Tauranga Sports the bye.

DRAWS

BOPRU Baywide Premier 2.45pm

Judea v Mount Maunganui, Ngongotahā v Whakarewarewa, Te Puke Sports v Te Puna, Rangataua v Tauranga Sports, Greerton Marist v Marist St Michael’s.

BOPRU Colts/U85kg — 1pm

Greerton Marist v Pāpāmoa, Te Puke Sports v Te Puna, Kahukura v Tauranga Sports, Mount Maunganui the bye.

WBOPRFS senior men’s — 1pm

Judea v Mount Maunganui, Matakana Island v Papamoa, Te Puke Sports v Te Puna, Rangataua v Tauranga Sports, Greerton Marist v Katikati, Rangiuru v Eastern Districts, Arataki the bye.

-Te Puke Times.