Bay out to raise the bar again

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

They know now they can travel.

The Poverty Bay under-18s’ 48-21 win against Horowhenua-Kapiti in Napier last Saturday was a superb performance. Tomorrow they will need to raise the bar again.

Their opponents this weekend at Bond Field in Napier — Wellington Centurions — beat Horowhenua Kapiti 53-7 in Levin and Wellington Community 40-22 in the capital.

The Bay have six competition points and are second to the Centurions in Pool B, on points differential. Wairarapa Bush lead Pool A.

Bay head coach Jamie Hutana’s side go into their third game with two key players unavailable. Powerful No.8 Billy Priestley is away with the NZ Maori u18 team and lock Ofa Tauatevalu is playing for Gisborne Boys’ High School in tomorrow night’s men’s club basketball grand final at the YMCA.

Michael Fox and Hunter Tangira will join Blake Beard and Konnor Gibson on the bench, with Salesi Niuvao moving to loosehead prop for Nikau Maxwell. Maxwell will partner lock Isaiah Booth, Amanaki Tonga — who started on the blindside flank against Horowhenua — will go to No.8, with Keanu Wainohu-Kemp moving to blindside. Hooker Seth Lundon, Booth and captain and openside flanker Dylan Hall are the Poverty Bay forwards not to have moved.

Hall says his players are looking forward to another challenge from a strong Wellington team.

“We aim to match them physically and front up.”

With Tauatevalu absent, the Bay will have to be inventive and accurate at the lineout, with Centurions locks Sene Fa’aso and Isaac Sailo both 6ft 4in.

The Centurions will be without flyer Caleb Cavubati (New Zealand Seconday Schools) and Chris Hemi (NZ Maori) but, like Poverty Bay, they are able to adapt according to need — on August 25, they beat the Wellington under-85kg men’s team, which meant giving chase to props as pacy as wings.

“I expect my players do their core jobs well . . . it’d be good to see them make good decisions and execute,” Centurions head coach Damian Rapira-Davies said.

Poverty Bay struck early, fast and hard against Horowhenua Kapiti last week. Down 31-7 at the break, Horowhenua fought back in the second half but that dream start happens perhaps once — if that — in a season for an age-group team against good opposition.

The Bay will be very competitive, and can expect well-organised opposition, structured and disciplined.

Marty Hantz (Hawke’s Bay) will referee the match.

POVERTY BAY UNDER 18s, 1-22: Salesi Niuvao, Seth Lundon, Sione Mafileo, Isaiah Booth, Nikau Maxwell, Keanu Wainohu-Kemp, Dylan Hall (captain), Amanaki Tonga, Quintony Ngatai, Quinn Collard, De-Villa Pirihi-Coutts, Niko Lauti, Tuhakia Stewart, Braedyn Grant, Moses Christie. Reserves: Blake Beard, Konnor Gibson, Michael Fox, Hunter Tangira.