Bay outfoxed

THROUGH THE GAP: And there were plenty of them in the Heartland Championship match between LeaderBrand Poverty Bay and Thames Valley in Gisborne on Saturday. Flying up the middle of Rugby Park is lively Bay fullback Tamati Samuels in a high-scoring affair won 43-37 by the Swamp Foxes. The home side finished strongly and picked up two bonus points for their efforts to put them third on the table after two games. Pictures by Paul Rickard

LEADERBRAND Poverty Bay were on the losing end of a pulsating 12-try, point-a-minute Heartland encounter with Thames Valley at Rugby Park on Saturday and had only themselves to blame.

The Bay lost 43-37 to the Swamp Foxes but picked up bonus points for scoring four or more tries and losing by seven points or less. The two points, on top of last week's season-opening win over Ngati Porou East Coast has them sitting be third on the table.

But that was the only consolation for Bay coach Mutu Ngarimu.

“We had a good ground to play on, a good day, we were at home and we wanted to show our loyal supporters what we’ve got. But we just didn’t front today as a team,” Ngarimu said.

The Bay opened the scoring with a Kahu Tamatea penalty and followed it up with a try to loan lock Dan Goodwin on debut.

The Valley replied with a penalty as the home side dominated territory over the opening 30 minutes.

Despite their high tempo and enterprising play, however, the Bay could not add to the score.

Instead, it was the Swamp Foxes who struck against the run of play with a try to centre Nemani Talemaitoga, who carved through the defence.

It sparked the Bay into action and just a few minutes later, centre Leigh Bristowe added to his hat-trick from the previous weekend to make it 15-10.

For the rest of the half and a considerable time in the second stanza the Valley continued to take their chances and exposed the Bay’s defensive frailties.

Two tries just before halftime — including a brilliant chip-and-regather by fullback Chance Bunce, son of All Black great and Valley assistant coach Frank Bunce — took the Valley to 24-15 into the break. They scored another just after the resumption before Bay winger Carl Riini finished well to close the deficit to 29-20.

It only interrupted the visitors’ momentum as they stretched their lead to 43-20, including a killer blow intercept try to former Bay back Moss Doran.

The Bay rediscovered their resolve with 15 minutes to go. In a scintillating finish, they scored three tries — to replacement flanker Ken Houkamau, fullback Tamati Samuels and second five-eighth Suia Moala — borne from guts and fine support play, but it proved all too late.

They Bay were lifted by the replacements, among them Gisborne Boys’ High first 15 lock Isaia Walker-Leawere in his debut for the province.

There was some confusion at the end. The digital ground clock showed there was more than two minutes still to play when the referee blew fulltime with the match on a knife’s edge. The Bay had the bit between their teeth and a miracle comeback looked possible but it was not to be. Apparently the ground clock was late starting for the half.

Back to the drawing boardBay coach Mutu Ngarimu was, to put it mildly, “disappointed” .

“We missed too many first-up tackles and we didn’t hold possession as well as we should,” he said. “We allowed them to get into the game and we just didn’t work hard enough with our ball.”

He and co-coach Rico Gear would be “going back to the drawing board”.

“I couldn’t single anyone out today for having played well. The only real positive I feel is the fight we showed at the end.”

Valley coaches Hayden Roe and Frank Bunce were ecstatic.

“It was a heart-stopping finish to the game and we did really well to hang in there in the first half hour,” Bunce said. “I was surprised we were leading at halftime but we went into the sheds with more confidence.”

Roe said they did not play well against Wairarapa Bush last weekend and he was pleased they showed what they have to offer the competition.

“Moss Doran’s intercept try was payback for the one he scored against us when he last played for the Bay.”

The Bay face Horowhenua Kapiti in Waikanae this Saturday.

Heaertland Championship results, week 2: West Coast 21 Buller 7, King Country 34 Horowhenua Kapiti 28, Poverty Bay 37 Thames Valley 43, South Canterbury 57 Ngati Porou East Coast 5, Wanganui 28 Mid Canterbury 30, Wairarapa Bush 16 North Otago 18.