An intercept try to Tauatevalu — his second of the day — gave the fullback-cum-winger a hat-trick for the match and pushed Poverty Bay further ahead.
About three minutes later, the ball came out of a Mid Canterbury scrum unexpectedly, Poverty Bay pounced and blindside flanker Quade Tapsell set sail for the tryline and scored.
Momentum was with the Bay and Mid Canterbury couldn’t do much about it.
Poverty Bay prop Toru Noanoa made the game as good as safe about 10 minutes from fulltime, crashing over for his second try of the match.
Referee Angus Mabey wasn’t sure he had got there but touch judge Paul Brown said he saw the ball being grounded.
Fans of the home team then knew they would not be denied.
The picture looked different just before halftime when a lead became a deficit.
A Poverty Bay counter-attack went awry, Mid Canterbury kicked the ball downfield and Bay left winger Hunter Mokomoko had to carry the ball back into his in-goal to avoid a calamity.
It soon came, though, when the Bay scrum fell apart and the referee awarded a penalty try to the visitors.
Mid Canterbury led 24-19 at the break.
‘Positive edge’ in critical winPoverty Bay captain Ken Houkamau said the dressing sheds were silent at halftime.
“We went into the changing rooms knowing we’d lost a key moment in that first half,” he said.
Before they returned to the field, Houkamau said coach Tom Cairns gave the side a rev-up.
The first half was fairly even but Poverty Bay gave up easy points, including a gift five-pointer to Mid Canterbury captain Jon Dampney, who just had to grab the loose ball and score.
Cairns said before the match that Poverty Bay needed an 80-minute performance. He didn’t get one but they did get a much-needed win, including a bonus point for scoring at least four tries.
Houkamau said the players had a “positive edge”.
“Everyone realised it was a critical game. We really needed to step up.”
The captain led the way early and his third charge was for the tryline. He scored and Poverty Bay led after five minutes.
Mid Canterbury answered with a try to centre Josh McAtamney and Dampney’s five-pointer put them further ahead.
Poverty Bay second-five Jacob Leaf went close and then hooker Rikki Terekia dived over. Tauatevalu snared his first intercept try and the Bay led 19-14 after half an hour.
Mid Canterbury kicked a penalty goal and took the lead with their penalty try.
Shortly after the break, a Poverty Bay lineout drive led to Noanoa’s first try but Mid Canterbury hit back with a try to halfback Will Mackenzie, set up by openside flanker Seta Koroitamana.
Then came Poverty Bay’s onslaught.
Mid Canterbury responded by running the ball from everywhere in the final minutes and replacement prop Matt Groom scored, but the Bay were too far in front to be seriously threatened.
Houkamau said the substitutes Poverty Bay brought on in the second half gave the side momentum.
They had to replace Terekia and Mokomoko (with Matekaeroa McGuire and Matt Raleigh) at halftime because of injury.
Mario Counsell was brought on at halfback after 46 minutes, lock Juston Allen replaced the captain after 54 minutes, Ethine Reeves came on at fullback after 56 minutes, prop Lance Dickson was introduced after 68 minutes and loose forward Will Bolingford a minute later.
Mid Canterbury coach Dale Palmer said Poverty Bay showed how hungry they were to post a win.
“They came out in the second half really strong.”
Mid Canterbury’s starting props — Tom Heywood and Sorby Sorvea — scrummaged well, got around the park and made strong runs, he said.
After the weekend’s games, three teams — North Otago, West Coast and South Canterbury — are at the top on 18 competition points and Thames Valley have 16. Poverty Bay are on 13.
Mid Canterbury slipped to 11th on 10 points.
Poverty Bay’s next game is against Horowhenua-Kapiti at Waikanae.
POVERTY BAY 52 (Andrew Tauatevalu 3, Toru Noanoa 2, Ken Houkamau, Rikki Terekia, Quade Tapsell tries; Tauatevalu 5 con; Kelvin Smith con).
MID CANTERBURY 38 (John McAtamney, Jon Dampney, Will Mackenzie, Matt Groom tries; penalty try; Corey McKay 4 con, pen).
HT: 24-19 (Mid Canterbury).
