Cohen Loffler scoring a try against Mid Canterbury over the weekend. Photo / Paul Rickard
What is a hurry-up?
Hurry-up best describes the unrelenting and dogged match-effort that the Poverty Bay Weka have produced at home on Rugby Park against the No 2 and No 1 teams in the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship.
In week six, the Scarlet and Whites came from behind on fulltime to beat 2021-23 Meads Cup champions South Canterbury 41-35 and on Saturday put unbeaten competition leaders the Mid Canterbury Hammers to the ultimate test.
The Hammers had to come from 21-22 behind to beat the Bay 47-43, Red Team first-five Tayler Adams scoring their sixth try in the left corner and two-try hero, centre Cohen Loffler converting the same in front of Weka fans.
“I was proud of our boys’ effort but there were passes that just didn’t go to hand, and Mid Canterbury are a team that you have to be accurate against,” first year head coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman said.
“We have talented guys who are now on the same page, playing in our system – Cohen’s been playing out of his shoes, [reserve back-row forward] Siosiua Moala is a great ball carrier who brought real impact off the reserves bench in place of big [openside flanker] Lennox Shanks. Lennox won us a lot of turnover ball and penalties on Saturday.
“[Hooker] Ngahiwi Manuel’s our leading try-scorer this year with seven tries, Cohen and our co-captain [blindside flanker] Keanu Taumata both have four tries and Tayler’s our leading points-scorer with 65.”
Mid Canterbury reserve tighthead prop Adam Williamson won the toss in 22C. The Hammers chose to play towards the Gisborne Park Golf Course, into a gentle nor-westerly breeze before a crowd of 1000.
As was the case versus South Canterbury, the hosts made a lightning start. Manuel scored in the third minute, Loffler three minutes later (his try being converted by Adams for 12-0) and Manuel made it a personal double after 13 minutes. His second try was a classic: the rake hit lock Harawira Kahukura at three in the line-out, joined the drive and dotted down 10m in from the right corner. Adams converted for 19-0.
South Canterbury had been 28-0 down at the 25-minute mark a week before, and with Mid Canterbury also trailing early on the game appeared in danger of blowing out but for the calm, strength and quality of their team leaders.
In the 20th minute, left-footed first-five Nathan McCloy, one of the Green Team’s most solid performers here, put Mid Canterbury 5m from the right corner with a line-kick. Hooker Josh Dunlea found McCormack at three for the jump and Dunlea scored 5m infield. A proven match-winner against Poverty Bay at Oval 2 two years ago, second-five Tom Reekie on Saturday landed his first conversion from the right touch for the Hammers 7, the Bay 19.
In the 25th minute, having been awarded a penalty for offside play by Hawke’s Bay referee Stu Catley, Poverty Bay – wisely – took and made a shot at goal courtesy of Adams for 21-7. But the Hammers were surging: 28 minutes in, brawny scrum-anchor Osea Baisagale barged in to score 5m to the left of the Bay’s goalposts. Reekie did duty again.
Poverty Bay had hit Mid Canterbury like a tonne of bricks at the outset, but the Green and Yellows’ legendary left-wing Raitube Vasurakuta scored the last try of the first half with six minutes left to play.
Mid Canterbury had made it to Poverty Bay’s posts then showed excellent nerve and hands to put Vasurakuta away.
He improved the angle for Reekie, who obliged to make the score 21 to 22.
Great early work saw the Weka remain in front by the smallest margin.
“It was a scorcher of a day – tough on the lungs. Poverty Bay’s play at set-piece was solid and we did well to get ourselves back into the game,” McCormack said.
Hammers centre Toetu Touli scored the first try after the resumption in the 50th minute, which because of Reekie gave Mid Canterbury the upper hand 28-22. The door being ajar, the Matt Winter-coached Hammers pressed their advantage through McCormack, who scored for 33-22, with Reekie’s fifth conversion taking it out to 35-22.
The Bay, stung by this, rallied.
In the 66th minute, halfback Henry Saker – the man who decided game six with a magnificent chase to score – dragged play into the visitors’ 22.
Poverty Bay co-captain Lance Dickson, who came into the game after 53 minutes for tighthead prop Iose Brown, then made the first of three big carries in the lead-up to a try to Tongan international Moala, 9m to the right of the posts.
Adams converted Moala’s try for the Reds 29, Hammers 35.
Lively Mid Canterbury right-wing Sam Pearce scored in the 70th minute, but for the first time, Reekie missed a conversion attempt.
The Hammers had the upper hand 40-29, which seven minutes later was 45-29 with a try to skilful lock Zak Healey.
Healey, like Hammers most valuable player Baisagale, fearless flyer Pearce and McCloy, had played a key role throughout for the Greens at the line-out and in general play. Contributions add up.
On Reekie, the score was 47-29.
The last six minutes of the 24th game between Poverty Bay and Mid Canterbury – from the 79th minute to the 85th – were Heartland Rugby’s version of the Twilight of the Gods: Loffler scored in the 79th minute, his try in the right corner being converted by Adams for 36 to 47. Loffler had dived full-length, legs horizontal above the right corner flag, to dot down off a desperation pass from Weka MVP Taumata.
The grounding by Loffler was miraculous.
Finally, Adams scored in the left corner after 84 minutes. Loffler converted the try to a now-limping Adams from the sideline – it was almost fairytale stuff, though Mid Canterbury still led 47-43.
Fulltime meant Mid Canterbury claimed their 14th win head-to-head in the most exciting game and after the most exciting finish between the two on record since 1988.