Match Center

West Coast RU

West Coast RU

23

Poverty Bay

20
Lochore Cup Final October 15, 2023 @ 2:05 pm John Sturgeon Park - Greymouth


WEST COAST WINS FIRST NATIONAL TITLE
In a week where the government changed and the All Blacks achieved one of their most meritorious World Cup victories, West Coast also broke a glass ceiling by winning a national domestic rugby trophy.

After three previous defeats in the Lochore Cup final, West Coast blunted a fast-finishing Poverty Bay 23-20 at John Sturgeon Park in Greymouth.

West Coast scored all their points in the first half. Poverty Bay was overpowered at the ruck, conceding a multitude of penalties. West Coast pinged the corners expertly and built considerable pressure with their scrum. Poverty Bay rarely exited their 22, battling against driving rain and a violent wind.

Winger Logan Ross chipped over three penalties for West Coast before halfback Cleve Barrell darted over in the 29th minute following aggressive forward surges.

West Coast applied the exclamation mark on an imperious first half when they were rewarded a penalty try from a scrum. The entire pack was superb, but Tyler Kearns (loosehead), Troy Tauwhare (hooker), Tumama Tu’ulua (lock) and Steve Soper (openside) are especially worthy of acclaim.

The first 15 minutes of the second spell was muddled and scoreless. Poverty Bay eventually breathed new life into the contest when wing Te Peehi Fairlie ferreted clear openside after slick passing created vacant pasture.

Ironically a West Coast scrum would be the source of the visitors’ second try. The ball squirted free from the swirling packs and Ra Broughton delivered a quick pass to an unmarked Hunter Mokomoko.

With ten minutes remaining Poverty Bay’s second five Jacob Leaf trampled over the top of his opposite and stampeded into the clear to set up Mokomoko for his second.

Defying the conditions, Poverty Bay had West Coast scrambling with its audacious and expansive approach. Poverty Bay loose forwards Hayze Nepia and Stuart Leach were full of bustle, and when Leach scored with 90 seconds left, an improbable victory was a realistic prospect.

Poverty Bay gathered the restart and ripped the ball wide. A ferocious front-on tackle by West Coast second-five Shayne Anderson forced an error. Fittingly the West Coast scrum terminated time.

West Coast: 23 (Cleve Barrell try, Penalty try; Logan Ross 3 pen, con)
Poverty Bay: 20 (Te Peehi Fairlie, Hunter Mokomoko 2, Stuart Leach tries)
HT: 23-0

West Coast RU 23 - 20 Poverty Bay

  • Sunday 15 October 2023 @ 2:05 pm
  • Lochore Cup Final 
  • John Sturgeon Park - Greymouth
TR CON PEN DG
16 1396 Sione Lonitenisi Troy Tauwhare
17 1318 Daniel Foord Daniel Davis
18 1314 Jesse MacRae Tyler Kearns
19 1305 Logan Winter Will Schmetz
20 1271 Sean R. McClure Matthew Robbins
21 1398 Levi Carew Jaime Garland
22 West Bay 1 1
23 1307 Jarrod C. Ferguson
24 1379 Arnie Gibbens
29
Played
7
Won
0
Drawn
22
Lost

Previous meetings

27 Aug 74 2:30 pm Representative Match West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 12 - 44
20 Sep 86 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 07 - 13
13 Sep 87 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 12 - 21
10 Sep 94 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 61 - 03
09 Sep 95 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 17 - 30
31 Aug 96 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 43 - 13
30 Aug 97 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 20 - 32
29 Aug 98 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 74 - 00
02 Oct 99 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 40 - 14
16 Oct 99 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 12 - 14
19 Aug 00 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 06 - 51
02 Sep 00 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 60 - 13
25 Aug 01 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 15 - 31
24 Aug 02 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 15 - 19
06 Sep 03 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 21 - 15
02 Oct 04 2:30 pm NPC 3rd Division West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 24 - 53
07 Oct 06 2:30 pm Heartland Championship Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 57 - 17
06 Oct 07 2:30 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 21 - 36
15 Sep 12 2:30 pm Heartland Championship Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 31 - 13
07 Sep 13 2:30 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 30 - 14
06 Sep 14 2:30 pm Heartland Championship Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 29 - 20
01 Oct 16 2:30 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 28 - 62
23 Sep 17 2:30 pm Heartland Championship Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 36 - 19
15 Sep 18 2:30 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 31 - 30
19 Oct 19 2:30 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 41 - 35
02 Oct 21 2:30 pm Heartland Championship Poverty Bay v West Coast RU 34 - 20
08 Oct 22 2:30 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 17 - 41
15 Oct 23 2:05 pm Lochore Cup Final West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 23 - 20
17 Aug 24 2:00 pm Heartland Championship West Coast RU v Poverty Bay 38 - 29