Coast’s wait for win continues

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

RUGBY by John Hill

NGATI Porou East Coast will have to wait another year to end their five-year search for a Heartland Championship rugby win after they lost 62-26 to West Coast in the final round of competition play at Greymouth on Saturday.

The Battle of the Coasts was a thriller from the kick-off, with both teams running the ball from all over the pitch.

Co-coaches Troy Para and Wayne Ensor said before the game their side would “empty the tank” in their bid to end the season with a win.

After an entertaining and free-flowing first half, West Coast led 31-21.

Unfortunately for the Sky Blues, West Coast had another 40 minutes of gas in their tanks, winning the second half 31-5.

The East Coast points came from tries to winger Epeli Lotawa (2), fullback Morrison Siliko and flanker Trent Proffit, along with three conversions to first five-eighth Ngarangi Haerewa.

The four tries gave East Coast a bonus point — their second of the championship.

Despite the victory, West Coast missed out on a place in the Lochore Cup (for fifth-to-eighth-placed teams) after having six points deducted for an eligibility breach in previous games. One of those games was a 31-20 win against Poverty Bay.

Loss of the points meant West Coast finished on 16 — the same as the Bay and Buller — but West Coast finished above them on points for and against.

Top qualifiers and defending Meads Cup champions Wanganui will host Thames Valley in one semifinal on Saturday, while South Canterbury are at home to King Country in the other semi.

In the Lochore Cup play-offs, Horowhenua Kapiti (fifth) will host Mid Canterbury (eighth).

North Otago (seventh) beat Wairarapa Bush (sixth) 24-0 in Masterton but failed to score a bonus-point try and will return to Masterton for the second semi.

Round 8 results: Wairarapa Bush 0 North Otago 24, Wanganui 57 Horowhenua Kapiti 27, South Canterbury 33 Thames Valley 24, Poverty Bay 27 Buller 41, Mid Canterbury 29 King Country 31.