SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
ROUND 1, 2024 BUNNINGS WAREHOUSE HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP
John Sturgeon Park, Greymouth
West Coast 38 (Gordie Lloyd, Ollie Robb, Rob Brocklehurst, Jack Sheridan tries, penalty try; Jacob Waikari-Jones pen, 4 con)
Poverty Bay Weka 29 (Paoraian Manuel-Harman, Te Peehi Fairlie, Nehe Papuni, Keanu Taumata, Ngahiwi Manuel, tries; Mitchell Purvis 2 con).
HT West Coast 17 Poverty Bay 19.
To beat a centurion at home on his big day is a huge ask.
And as the most capped player in the 134 year-history of the Poverty Bay Weka, Sione Ngatu, made his 100th appearance in a 31-13 win West Coast here at More FM Rugby Park on September 8, 2012, so Troy Tauwhare marked his 100th appearance for West Coast with honour in the form of a 38-29 victory at John Sturgeon Park in Greymouth on Saturday.
The Coasters beat the Bay 23-20 under legendary openside flanker Steve Soper at the same venue on October 15, 2023 in the Lochore Cup Final to claim their first national title in 130 years
West Coast reserve lock Jesse MacRae won his 50th cap in the 75th minute, the home team’s captain lock Gordie Lloyd having scored the first try of the Week 1, Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship clash eight minutes in. West Coast, the only team in 2024 to win their season opener at home, recorded their seventh victory in 29 clashes with Poverty Bay since the Bay beat them 44-12 at the then-Rugby Park in Greymouth, August 27, 1974.
The Bay lost their next meeting with the Southerners 7-13 at Rugby Park in Gisborne in the third division of the old National Provincial Championship on September 20, 1986.
Miah Nikora, third-year head coach of the Weka, knows well the value of wins away from home – and last year’s Bay crew knows equally well the annoyance of being pipped at the post: they lost to Thames Valley, Wairarapa-Bush and Mid-Canterbury by 7, 6 and 3 points in Weeks 2, 3, 4, while a more popular gauge of their ability would be the 52-33 flyer v Buller first-up and 43-50 loss to now three-times Meads Cup champions Aoraki South Canterbury.
Nikora’s side led 19-17 at the break in excellent conditions on this occasion, and took a bonus point for scoring four tries against the Coast.
“Well-done to the West Coast on taking their opportunities, turning pressure into points,” he said. “We did some good things, played good rugby at times, and have some improving to do before next weekend because we struggled to keep pressure on the Coast after scoring points
We weren’t efficient at getting out of our own half, were impatient on attack and needed greater discipline in defence.”
Sean Cuttance, in his third run at the helm for West Coast, said: “We had 11 debutants on Saturday, eight starting, three off the bench and we made mistakes – lost three line-outs, conceded two free-kicks. Poverty Bay has big boys, they’re skilful too, but we started to piece our attacking game together in the second half. Our boys showed a lot of heart.”
Lloyd won the coin-toss and chose to kick off with a crowd just shy of 1100 in. Bay skipper hooker Shayde Skudder chose direction – the southerly breeze later morphing into a northerly, the visitors played into the wind for most of the afternoon.
Poverty Bay fullback Paoraian Manuel-Harman struck the first blow in a tactical sense, with a 50-22 wiper’s kick that put the away team in a prime attacking position. At the three minute-mark, smart first-five Mitchell Purvis made a run, timed the last pass to his No.15 exquisitely and the Tapuae player-coach put the ball down beneath the crossbar. Purvis converted Manuel-Harman’s try for 7-0.
Lloyd’s try in the eighth minute was converted by Purvis’s opposite Jacob Waikari-Jones for 7-7, and halfback Ollie Robb made it try and after try for the hosts, Waikari-Jones doing the decent thing for 14-7.
Poverty Bay reserve loosehead prop Nehe Papuni replaced OBM tough nut Lance Dickson in the 13th minute and got the fourth try of the day in the 28th minute. His five-pointer was not converted, and the score was 14-12 to the Coast until barnstorming left-wing Te Peehi Fairlie cut the try-line for 17-14, and then 19-14 with a conversion from Purvis – the Bay’s first lead of the day in a thrilling intro to this year’s championship.
Waikari-Jones rose to the occasion for West Coast on the cusp of half-time, referee Daniel Moore of Canterbury penalising the Bay. Waikari-Jones’ goal drew the Coast back to within two points of the visitors.
Three minutes after the resumption, Lloyd’s powerful second-row partner Rob Brocklehurst scored – which with Waikari-Jones’ next contribution became 24-19 to the Coast. In the 46th minute, Bay openside flanker Keanu Taumata got across for 24-24 – there was no conversion – but in the 55th minute, Moore awarded a penalty try against Poverty Bay.
That automatic seven point-award gave the home team a 31-24 lead.
Ngahiwi Manuel, the Bay’s reserve hooker, who came onto the field of play as a tactical substitute in the 55th minute, scored a try that owed much to excellent body position, as well as muscle. His try in the 63rd minute was not converted – the score was Poverty Bay 29, West Coast 31.
The Bay had a bonus point and were still very much in the game with 17 minutes to play.
It was in the 68th minute that Coast centre Jack Sheridan scored the try that got the hosts nine points clear of their opponents. They won a rough and ready match against formidable opposition.
Lloyd said: “The game was tough up front: Poverty Bay contested rucks and tackles with big contact. We had to ride the storm of pressure, and then try to play over top of them as they tired – if they tired – and our second-half comeback was down to spreading the ball wide and playing quick rugby.
For us, it was awesome to get the win for Troy and Jesse in their milestone games.”
by Ben O’Brien-Leaf
