Semi-finals rugby that sets a clean sheet in a season, often brings a fresh intensity to what the formbook suggests should be one-way traffic.

Rotoiti went into the PGG Wrightson Baywide premier semi-final against multiple Baywide champions Tauranga Sports on Saturday as decided underdogs – and went home with a return trip to the Tauranga Domain next weekend to contest the Grand-Final as the reward for winning the post section encounter in the lion's den.

The visitors opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Whakataki Cunningham kicked a conversion. Just three minutes later Tauranga Sports Pingi Taalapitaga, split open the Rotoiti defence with a barn storming run to feed the ball to Nick Evemy, who crashed over under the posts.

The resulting conversion by Evemy took the home side to a 7-3 advantage early in the match. A second Cunningham penalty saw Tauranga Sports take a pencil thin 7-6 lead into the break.

Rotoiti burst into life just three minutes into the second spell, when half back Curtis van der Hayden dived over by the sideline to score, with the Cunningham conversion taking them to a 13-7 lead.

A Lewis Hancock penalty goal ten minutes later closed the gap to three, with both sides then making un-rewarded forays into the opposition half. With the clock ticking down, Tauranga Sports threw everything at the Rotorua side making a dozen forward pushes, however the Rotoiti defence held firm.

After successfully weathering the Tauranga storm, Rotoiti then moved play down the other end, to punch the air in jubilation when the referee signalled full time giving Rotoiti a 13-10 victory.

Te Puke Sports grabbed the opportunity to chase back to back Baywide titles, when they overcame a resilient Opotiki side, to earn a place in next weekends Grand Final against Rotoiti. While the final result would suggest a comfortable Te Puke victory, it was only in the last minute of the first spell that the home side grabbed the lead. Ben Ward crossed for Te Pukes first try, to give the hosts a 13-9 lead at the half way break.

The second spell belonged to Te Puke who ran in three tries in the first twenty minutes. The first was a long-range attack with Jack Wilson scoring the touchdown, followed by a try apiece to Jamie Nutbrown and Nathan Harris. The Eastern Bay side grabbed a consolation try courtesy of Reece Simpson on right on fulltime, with the final score line showing a 36-14 victory to the defending Baywide champions.

The two top qualifiers in the Division One title race will square off on Super Saturday at the Tauranga Domain. Rangiuru were made to work for victory before getting past Te Teko 25-10 at Centennial Park in Te Puke. The Te Puke sides victory stretched there unbeaten run to 18 straight wins.

Paroa also won their home post section encounter when they posted a hard fought 31-20 win against Kahukura. The two post section Division One victories, sets up a classic Eastern v Western Bay battle between the two teams that dominated the round robin play.

An all Western Bay final will take place in Division Two, where the prize is a berth in next seasons Division One competition. Katikati won a battle of attrition with Edgecumbe on the Bay of Plenty border before emerging with an 11-nil victory. The Arataki clash with Kawerau in the Eastern Bay went right to the wire before the visitors grabbed a solitary point 14-13 win.

Another all Western Bay final stanza will be fought out in the Colts grade between Tauranga Sports and Te Puna. On Saturday Tauranga Sports repelled a late Te Puke Sports charge on the line to take a 22-17 win, while Te Puna upset Mount Maunganui with a 42-27 victory in a high scoring affair at Blake Park.

Whakarewarewa ensured that they would be the second Rotorua team on Grand Finals day, when they squeezed past Ngongotaha 22-21 in the Senior Reserve playoffs. They will meet Tauranga Sports who got home from archrivals Mount Maunganui 28-9 in the curtain-raiser at the Tauranga Domain.

PGG Wrightson Baywide Semi-Final Rugby Results 28 July 2012

Premier

Te Puke Sports 36 (Ben Ward, Jack Wilson, Nathan Harris, Jamie Nutbrown tries; Nick Mc Cashin 4 pen 2 con) Opotiki 14 (Reece Simpson try; Te Amo Wilbore 3 pen) HT 13-9.

Rotoiti 13 (Curtis van der Hayden try; Whakataki Cunningham 2 pen con) Tauranga Sports 10 (Nick Evemy try; Lewis Hancock con, N Evemy con) HT 6-7.

Division One: Rangiuru 25 Te Teko 10, Paroa 31 Kahukura 10.

Division Two: Katikati 11 Edgecumbe 10, Arataki 14 Kawerau 13.

Colts Championship: Tauranga Sports 22 Te Puke Sports 17, Te Puna 42 Mount Maunganui 27.

Colts Section Two Final: Rangataua 39 Waikite 38.

Senior Reserve: Tauranga Sports 28 Mount Maunganui 9, Whakarewarewa 22 Ngongotaha 21.