Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

While the glamour teams of the Baywide Rugby Premier competition were battling out their respective semi-finals on Saturday – Sideline Sid was at Maharaia Winiata Park in Judea to catch the third game of the July trilogy between Judea and Arataki.

The two Western Bay rivals were meeting for the third time in four weeks. Entering Saturday's match-up at Judea headquarters, the score line was one match apiece, with Judea winning the WBOPRFS Merv Scholes trophy in their first game and Arataki the Western Bay of Plenty Championship a week later.

The final game in the July trilogy saw a place in this Saturday's BOPRU Baywide Division Two grandfinal at stake, with an automatic place in next season's Division One competition for the Division Two winner.

Parking at Maharaia Winiata Park was at an absolute premium, with Arataki supporters three deep on one side of the field and the large group of extremely vocal Judea fans on the club room side of the paddock.

Six-all at half time, reflected a genuine arm wrestle in the first spell with the two team's kickers trading two penalty goals apiece.

Eight minutes into the second half, Judea hit the lead courtesy of further penalty, from there the home side then went on the offensive to play most of the second spell in the Arataki half.

The Judea rolling mauls kept the Arataki side on the back foot, however with around five minutes remaining in the match, Arataki broke through the home side's defence to run 70 metres to score a try.

While Judea made a concerted attempt to come back, the visitors held on to take out an extremely hard fought 11-9 victory. The Judea supporters praised the efforts of their evergreen prop Nigel Heke, who has played more than 300 games for the clubs' senior team, starting in 1983 as a 16-year-old.

Such as been the closeness of the three games, that while Arataki won the last two, they both scored 47 points apiece in their three match-ups. Arataki will now progress to meet Kawerau in next weekend's Baywide Grand Final, after the Eastern Bay side despatched Reporoa 29-15.

The Baywide grand-finals, to be played at the Baypark Stadium for the first time, threaten to produce a Western Bay shut out. Seven of the contenders will represent the Western Bay, with three Eastern Bay sides making the trek to Mount Maunganui, in the quest for Baywide silverware.

The main attraction to take place at the ASB Stadium at 3pm, is the Premier title decider with the silverware already consigned to the Western Bay of Plenty. Premier front runners Tauranga Sports who loss just a solitary game all season (to Te Puna) will square of in a battle of the bridge with Mount Maunganui.

The grand-finals opener will see the same two clubs contest the Baywide Colts title. Many of the players in the premier decider have progressed to their first fifteen through their age groups sides.

While Mount Maunganui enter the contest as current Western Bay champions, Tauranga finished their season with the WBOPRFS challenge prize of the Oliver Cup in their trophy cabinet.

Western Bay hopes in the Division One battle for supremacy will rest with Rangiuru who play Poroporo. Arataki meets Kawerau in the Division Two Final, with Tauranga Sports squaring off with Opotiki in the Senior Reserve title encounter

Seeya at Baywide Finals at Baypark