Second five Treymaine Butler (with ball) capped his debut for Ngāti Porou East Coast with a try in the Kaupoi's 28-22 King's birthday weekend derby win over Poverty Bay in Ruatōria on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard
Second five Treymaine Butler (with ball) capped his debut for Ngāti Porou East Coast with a try in the Kaupoi's 28-22 King's birthday weekend derby win over Poverty Bay in Ruatōria on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard
Ngāti Porou East Coast Kaupoi 28 (Jorian Tangaere, Treymaine Butler, Sam Parkes, Jayden Leiua-Pokia tries; Carlos Kemp 4 con) Poverty Bay Weka 22 (Siosiua Moala, Nic Proffit, Bosca Tikicidre tries; Proffit pen, 2 con). HT: NPEC 7 Poverty Bay Weka 14
Three Ngāti Porou East Coast players reached milestones in Saturday's derby. Jorian Tangaere (left) played his 50th first-class match (31 for the Coast, 19 for Hawke's Bay); Richard Green (son Myles front) made his 50th appearance for the Kaupoi; and it was the 100th first-class match for Sam Parkes (81 for the Coast, 19 for Poverty Bay). Photo / Paul Rickard
The Sky Blues got up for three of thebest.
Ngāti Porou East Coast Kaupoi beat Poverty Bay Weka 28-22 to retain the PJ Sayers Cup in their King’s Birthday derby in Ruatōria on Saturday - the perfect way to honour three great servants of their jersey.
Richard Green (50th NPEC cap), Sam Parkes (100th first-class game and Jorian Tangaere (50th first-class game) were all superb in a four-tries to three win at Enterprise Cars Whakarua Park.
“I couldn’t fault the heart and effort that our boys put in as we’d only been able to train once before this weekend, so for them to play that well was pleasing,” Coast coach Kahu Tamatea said.
“The starting 15 weathered the storm and managed to lay on two good tries, then our reserves bench raised the energy [level] and I felt that they bought us home for a very hard-fought win.”
Poverty Bay head coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman was happy with their first-half performance, which saw them go into the halftime break ahead 14-7.
“We’ll take good learnings out of the second half also, and we certainly put up a pretty decent effort at the scrum.”
Saturday was the 45th win for the Kaupoi in the 178th game between the sides since 1923.
Flanker Ryan Jones made his Poverty Bay debut in the King's birthday derby clash with Ngāti Porou East Coast. The Bay will look to avenge their 28-22 loss when the teams meet in week 1 of the Heartland Championship on August 16. Photo / Paul Rickard
Head coaches Tamatea and Manuel-Harman each fielded six new players.
For NPEC, these were lock Jesse Rye and second five Treymaine Butler in the starting 15, and rake Tristan Rutene, blindside flanker Uetaha Wanoa, halfback Safin Tuwairua-Brown and right wing KC Wilson in the reserves.
The Bay blooded openside flanker Ryan Jones and the pairing of inside backs Silas Brown and Nic Proffit as starters, while lock Latrell Walker, blindside flanker Ranitu Knox and first five Te-Reimana Gray were on the bench.
Proffit (30th minute) and Butler (53rd) scored tries on debut.
Following a moment of silence for NPEC patron and Ruatōria City life member Bill Burdett, QSO, who died in December, Coast first-five Carlos Kemp kicked off with a northwesterly breeze behind him.
Poverty Bay co-captain and No.8 Siosiua Moala opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
Co-captain and hooker Shayde Skudder found lock Harawira Kahukura at a lineout 6m from the left corner at the Coast’s end of the park. The Bay probed down the blindside, then right, got quality ball back from a charge by prop Sam Hudson and Moala, bouncing back to the blindside, went over. Proffit converted for 7-0.
Poverty Bay co-captain and No 8 Siosiua Moala (with ball) opened the scoring with a try in the derby match. Photo / Paul Rickard
The Coast drew level in the 23rd minute. Six metres from the left corner at the Bay’s end, Green won lineout ball and Tangaere scored from the ensuing drive. Kemp converted from the grandstand touchline to level it.
Weka centre Cohen Loffler was the right man in the right place at the right time to facilitate the Reds’ second try at the half-hour mark.
Referee Matt Richards awarded NPEC a penalty 10m into Bay territory. Parkes tapped and went left, but play broke down. Loffler seized the loose ball and released right wing Braedyn Grant, who got the ball to Jones at halfway. Jones found fullback Matthew Proffit, who beat three players with one sidestep, then linked with younger brother Nic on the angle and he dotted down behind the posts and converted for 14-7.
Five minutes into the second half, the Bay were penalised for back-chat 8m from their goal-line. Parkes tap-kicked and powered over under the crossbar. Kemp’s conversion made it 14-all.
Proffit put the Bay 17-14 in front with a penalty kick in the 50th minute, but the Coast struck back three minutes later.
From their own 22, the Bay missed touch with a line kick and Kemp lit the fuse for a counter-attack just short of halfway. Over five phases of play - including a 12m surge by reserve hooker Rutene - the home team roared down the ground and Butler showed lightning speed in a 10m sprint to the corner.
Kemp converted for 21-17.
Richard Green walks on to Whakarua Park with Annika (left), Myles and Zahara Green wearing special T shirts commemorating Green's 50th game for Ngati Porou East Coast. A post on the NPEC Facebook page said Green had "brought passion, grit and pride every time he’s pulled on the jersey". Photo / Paul Rickard
The Coast bagged their fourth and final try in the 73rd minute. From a lineout 11m from the scoreboard corner, Tuwairua-Brown and reserve first-five Hamuera Moana made attempts to get to the line before reserve prop Jayden Leiua-Pokia heaved himself over.
Kemp completed a perfect goal-kicking display with his fourth conversion for 28-17.
In the 80th minute, at the 14th scrum of the day, the reserve front-row of Antonio Walker-Leawere, James Grogan and Wayne Hema pushed the Coast off their own ball at halfway. Knox made a carry and the ball was moved quickly via second five Anthony Karauria, reserve centre Mitchell Purvis and fullback Proffit to left wing Bosca Tikicidre, who scored in the corner.
Ngati Porou East Coast halfback Sam Parkes marked his 100th first-class match with a try. Photo / Paul Rickard
The front-row forwards were among the most impressive players on show from both teams while special mention must be made of Coast Most Valuable Player (MVP) Tipene Meihana, who moved from the left wing to fullback for BJ Sidney, who fell awkwardly and dislocated his left wrist at the 10 minute-mark.
Derby showcased ‘everything great about our game’: NZR president
New Zealand Rugby president Matthew Cooper and his fellow board members, including Gisborne’s Doug Jones and Greg Barclay, relished their trip to Gisborne and the East Coast.
“Our visit to Gisborne and Tairāwhiti reinforced what makes rugby in New Zealand so special - strong connections, community spirit, a deep passion for the game,” Cooper said.
“The board had an excellent meeting on Friday and seeing first-hand the redevelopment, progress and vision for Rugby Park was inspiring.
“We acknowledge the resilience and passion shown by the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union in striving to achieve a fit-for-purpose venue that the region can be proud of.
“It was a privilege to be hosted by Ngāti Porou East Coast in their annual King’s Birthday fixture against Poverty Bay in Ruatōria.
“The match showcased everything great about our game - intensity, sportsmanship, a true community atmosphere.
“These moments remind us that rugby is more than a sport. It’s about conversation, social connection, building relationships,” Cooper said.
“NZR remains committed to being present and engaging with provincial rugby across the country.”
