Gutsy second half for Bay u20s

ON ATTACK: Openside flanker Seth Lundon was direct and effective with ball in hand in the Poverty Bay u20 side’s 41-13 loss to 2018 champions Horowhenua-Kapiti in Round 1, Pool A of the Hurricanes development series. Picture by Paul Rickard

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They never stopped — Poverty Bay under-20s reserve loosehead prop Wirihana Raihania scored in the 72nd minute; his captain No.8 Chase Sheridan, in the 80th.

Horowhenua-Kapiti played good rugby in their visit here, beating the Bay 41-13 in Round 1, Pool A of the Hurricanes development series — even as Sheridan (the visitors’ pick as their hosts’ Most Valuable Player) and co earned respect in a gutsy second-half effort.

“The Poverty Bay forward pack kept on trucking and came again in the last quarter of the game: that says a lot about them,” said HK coach Nathan Beuck.

“They showed a lot of heart and defensively they were very good too, especially their back-row, in chopping our big boys down to get over the ball.”

The “Nua” had a fleshy forward pack (eightman James Giland was a handful) and were forceful around the fringes of the ruck while the Bay was busy, brave and held up well at scrum time.

Openside flanker Seth Lundon was both direct and effective with ball in hand.

Horowhenua-Kapiti centre Toroa Rapana opened the scoring with a try in the eighth minute; Poverty Bay first-five Yvarne Carroll’s penalty goal in the 10th minute put the home team on the board. It was 5-3 to the visitors until HK halfback Josh Rauhihi scored at the 13th minute — first-five Arana Murphy converting for 12-3. Left-wing Navarone McLeod-Jones was the next Horowhenua-Kapiti player to score — no conversion — 19 minutes in, for 17-3.

Manawatu referee Jacob Booth gave a yellow card to blindside flanker James Woodmass (who had a superb all-round game for the Nua) after 22 minutes; the proverbial storm in a teacup, this match being played in good spirits. In the 24th minute, fullback Sean Pape scored the visitors’ fourth try for Horowhenua-Kapiti 22, Poverty Bay 3 at half-time.

Coached by Wirihana Raihania (whose son and namesake was the team’s loosehead prop) and David McDonald, the Bay showed steel following the resumption, not conceding another point for 25 minutes until Rapana claimed his double. Murphy converted for 29-3 and then Pape — a capable young player — scored his second try at the 68th minute for 34-3.

The Bay’s first magic moment came in the 72nd minute: loosehead prop Raihania scored 2m to the left of the posts for PB 8, HK 34. In the 76th minute, Nua captain lock Xavier Pereka scored for 39-8; which, with Murphy’s 3rd conversion, became 41-8.

Sheridan then had the last word, topping a typically outstanding game with a try in the right corner on full-time.

McDonald said: “We started slowly but dominated the first 25 minutes of the second half against the reigning under 20 champions from last year. There are also a few boys who weren’t there on Saturday who’ll be in contention to play next weekend.”

This Saturday, Poverty Bay play Wairarapa-Bush in Round 2 of the Hurricanes u20 development series; on Sunday, August 11, the Bay are to play Wanganui. Both R1-R2 games will be held at the Sport and Rugby Institute in Palmerston North.