Bay still in the top-four hunt

TEEN TALENT: Ofa Tauatevalu, pictured in action for the Poverty Bay under-18 team last year, was their most valuable player on Saturday against Ngati Porou East Coast. Picture by Tony Gibson

Poverty Bay kept alive their hopes of making the Meads Cup top four despite their 31-30 loss to West Coast at Greymouth on Saturday.

The Bay are 10th in the 12-team Heartland Championship but picked up two bonus points — one for scoring four tries and the other for finishing within seven points of the victors.

West Coast are seventh, on 12 points, along with Wairarapa Bush, Thames Valley and Mid Canterbury.

It could have been even better for coach Mana Otai’s Poverty Bay side, who were awarded a penalty with 90 seconds remaining. However, fullback Andrew Tauatevalu’s attempt was just wide.

Tauatevalu scored two tries and landed a penalty in a man-of-the-match performance.

Tries to Tauatevalu in the ninth minute, loosehead prop Andrew Petelo in the 24th, and Tauatevalu in the 35th, along with two conversions to first five-eighth Kelvin Smith, gave the Bay a 19-14 lead at halftime.

With time almost up, in a second half during which the lead went back and forth, the Bay were up 30-24 and on course to take all five points until a 77th-minute West Coast try and conversion.

“We worked our way back into their half and with time almost up we had the chance to win the game,” Otai said.

“But it’s one of those things; kicks either go over or they don’t.”

Otai said he felt as if the match was lost by Poverty Bay rather than won by West Coast.

“We put ourselves in positions to win but just couldn’t finish,” he said.

“I’m not taking anything away from West Coast. They won and at the end of the day it’s the result that counts. But I was pleased with our guys’ effort.

“We showed we can score tries and it was a game that swung both ways throughout the 80 minutes. At halftime I felt we could go on to win.

“I don’t like singling out individuals — they all played well — but one player who gets through a lot of work that goes unnoticed is our lock Micaiah Torrance-Reid. His work rate is extremely high week in, week out.”

West Coast 31 (Steve Soper 2, Oliver Dimmick, Sean McClure, Nik Cumming tries; Tom Reekie 3 con) Poverty Bay 30 (Andrew Tauatevalu 2, Andrew Petelo, Te Peehi Fairlie tries; Kelvin Smith 2 con, pen; Tauatevalu pen).

HT: 19-14 (Poverty Bay).

Other Heartland Championship week 4 results: North Otago 24 Horowhenua Kapiti 27, South Canterbury 100 Ngati Porou East Coast 7, Thames Valley 29 King Country 37, Wanganui 30 Mid Canterbury 12, Wairarapa Bush 61 Buller 29.