“It’s always tough against the Coast and Saturday was no different,” Poverty Bay head coach Miah Nikora said. “We started strongly and played direct rugby early on, but when things opened up, our skill and option-taking was good to see.
“We were pleased with the game — to put stuff we’d trained to do into practice. We didn’t get it all right but the attitude was great across the board.
“It was also pleasing to give new guys Stu (Leach), Moses Christie (fullback), Ricardo Patricio (reserve first-five) and Solomoni Rasari (reserve second-five) an opportunity at this level, and they all did really well.”
NPEC head coach Hosea Gear has stressed the importance of self-evaluation and personal responsibility in the last three years.
“It was good that our boys got to have a look at themselves on Saturday and see what they’ve got to work on,” said Gear, who returned to Brisbane yesterday morning.
“Some may have thought that they were training enough. This result is a good indicator that they could still do more.
“This is a true test of the character of who’s willing to work.”
The Bay, with a strong southerly behind them, opened in rambunctious style.
Four minutes into the game, referee Morton set an immediate standard for tackles riding up and penalised the Coast 15 metres out from their line.
Poverty Bay co-captain and first-five Kelvin Smith kicked the goal for 3-0.
The Bay scored the first try of the match seven minutes in when blindside flanker Adrian Wyrill intercepted a pass 8m metres from the Coast goal-line and dotted down in the corner (8-0).
In the 12th minute, following an epic surge by tighthead prop Jarryd Broughton and fullback Te Peehi Fairlie coming within a clean catch of scoring in the corner, the visitors won a lineout. After eight phases, right-wing Matt Raleigh chip-kicked ahead and won a 10m dash to score inches from the dead-ball line (13-0).
The Coast got a crack at points midway through the half and probed the scarlets’ defence over six phases. There is no shortage of muscle or capable finishers in the Sky Blues but on Saturday, the Bay set a high tempo which the hosts fought throughout to match.
Morton yellow-carded Counsell for offside play at the 32-minute mark but the Bay shrugged that off and lifted the pace of the game again.
Bay second-five Taine Aupouri made a bust, ran 40m, then kicked ahead for Raleigh only for Coast debutant right-winger Shayden Stevens to scramble back in cover and make a heroic save on the goal-line.
It spurred the Coast to life but on the cusp of halftime, Bay co-captain and lock Dan Law won a lineout 11m out and the visitors attacked again. From a ruck in front of the posts, makeshift halfback Hubbard went right to fullback Moses Christie, who scored in the corner to give the Bay an 18-0 halftime lead.
Two minutes after the resumption, they were at it again. From an attacking 5m scrum, powerful reserve No.8 Jess Kapene went over and Smith converted for 25-0.
In the 58th minute, Ricardo Patricio replaced Smith at No.10 and made his mark four minutes later from an attacking scrum when he cut between two defenders to score under the bar.
Patricio, on his Bay debut alongside Leach, Christie and reserve second-five Solomoni Rasari, converted to make it 32-0.
In the 64th minute, the quick-thinking Raleigh threw the ball in quickly 6m inside Coast territory, Patricio ran from halfway to the 22, the Bay went right and Hubbard found Christie, whose momentum got him home in the corner, despite an admirable effort from Coast lock Manaia Nyman in defence.
Patricio’s conversion made it 39-0.
The Coast finally struck gold in the 67th minute — a slick pass from reserve first-five Ngarangi Haerewa setting up Stevens for a try that owed everything to a good scrum-platform, clean service from young reserve halfback Bless Perese-Elliott, men running straight and well-timed passes.
The Bay responded in the 71st minute with a five-pointer the 900 in attendance no doubt appreciated. From a 5m attacking scrum to the right of the posts, reserve halfback Ra Broughton ducked away and two men went at Kapene as he came off the back of the scrum. Kapene found reserve blindside flanker Keanu Taumata of OBM on the inside hit to score.
Patricio’s conversion made it 46-7 lead.
The Coast had the last say with a deserved try to second-five Te Manu Herewini. After a quick tap kick 10m from the Bay line. Herewini had plenty of work to do when he eventually received the ball, spinning away from three would-be tacklers.
Saturday’s game was high-quality rugby and terrific to watch. The pace and skills on display so early in the year surprised many.
Pre-season games can be stop-start, bumbling, error-ridden affairs. This was nothing like that.
Sky Blues skipper and hooker Perrin Manuel acknowledged his crew’s grit and creditable performance at set-pieces despite having only two trainings as a squad in the lead-up to the traditional rivals’ first meeting for the year.
Bay co-captains Law and Smith led by example. Law’s lineout duel with second-row opposite Paddy Allen was a beauty.
The Bay pack were dynamic from the outset.
Rake Shayde Skudder, lock Fletcher Scammell, Leach and No.8 Tamanui Hill all carried the ball strongly.
In the backs, centre Hubbard and Peehi Fairlie were strong in contact.
Reserve hooker Rikki Terekia (despite his binning) and reserve tighthead prop James Higgins had tremendous games.
Jarryd Broughton and Aupouri made some memorable runs although Higgins’ effort in which he ran through five players in a 23m charge was surely the best.
Despite the score, two Coast players were the equal of any man on the park.
The work rate and effectiveness of flankers Richie Green and Willie Bolingford was a positive for NPEC.
Their speed to the loose ball and technique at the breakdown was consistently good.
Fullback BJ Sidney looked dangerous with every touch.
Wyrill was a deserving Most Valuable Player for the Bay as was Herewini for the Coast.
The teams meet again in Week 4 of the Heartland Championship on September 10.
