Bay in Lochore Cup semifinal

TWO-TRY MAN: Poverty Bay lock Everard Reid fends off King Country first five-eighth Reece McDonald. Reid scored two tries in the Bay’s 35-34 win against Thames Valley in Te Aroha. Picture by Paul Rickard

POVERTY Bay are through to the Lochore Cup semifinals after a sensational 35-34 win against Thames Valley in Heartland Championship rugby in Te Aroha on Saturday. The Bay went into the final round-robin game in ninth place, three points behind Thames Valley. And even though both teams finished on 20 points — Valley earning two bonus points themselves on Saturday — LeaderBrand Poverty Bay advanced by virtue of this victory.

Now the Bay are away to Mid Canterbury in the fifth-to-eighth Lochore Cup playoffs.

“It was a fantastic game of ebb and flow, and Valley could have won it with a conversion attempt in what we thought was the last minute,” said Bay chief executive Marty Davis, who was among the travelling supporters. I was right behind the kicker. He had a strong breeze at his back and he struck the ball well. I thought, ‘This is going to go over’, then it just seemed to fade away and missed the post . . . by about six inches.

“But it wasn’t the end of the game. The referee played five more minutes. It was nail-biting stuff.”

Thames Valley started as if they were going to destroy the Bay’s hopes of making the playoffs, racing out to a 17-0 start after 14 minutes.

“Everything went their way in that opening spell,” Bay coach Mana Otai said. “A few mistakes from us didn’t help. It was certainly a shock. But, as I have been saying lately, there is a lot of character in this team and it showed against Thames Valley.”

Bay centre Andrew Tauatevalu led the fightback with a try, converted by fullback Ethine Reeves, whose five conversions proved to be the difference between the teams.

Bay lock Everard Reid then capitalised on a break by first five-eighth Kelvin Smith to score a try, and it was 17-14. Then winger Karl Macpherson finished a brilliant team move with a try to put the Bay in front, 21-17, their three tries having come in 20 minutes.

However, a shellshocked Valley came back and regained the lead with a converted try on the stroke of halftime.

“Like us, they realised their season was on the line, and at times we were under the pump, just as we had them under the pump,” Davis said. “To their credit, the boys defended magnificently in the second half.

“Then Ethine, who had moved into the midfield, made the type of break that only Ethine could, taking on two tacklers before going to ground and, not being held, getting up and scoring between the posts.”

Reid then added another try.

Up 35-24 with 11 minutes to play, the Bay seemed to be in control. Again, Valley responded and scored two tries to make it a one-point game before time ran out.

“The slow start and the last 10 minutes are things we have to look at before we take on Mid Canterbury,” Otai said. “But the big thing for me is character. Our senior players and young guys all stepped up. “Semisi Akana was a late call-up for the unavailable Isaiah Leach, and prop Tamanui Hill took on the hooker’s role.

“Semisi had a strong game, as did Fawn White (flanker). Siosiua (Moala) did what he does best. He gives us good go-forward, which is sometimes taken for granted because he does it so well every week. Ethine was once again great.

“The other good news is that we came through with no injuries.”