The game will be remembered for two wayward kicks from fullback Andrew Tauatevalu that allowed the visitors to snatch a victory that takes them into joint second on the table and leaves the Bay with an uphill battle to book a spot in the fifth-to-eighth playoffs.
But Tauatevalu, who until then had been one of the Bay’s best players, should not shoulder all the blame for the loss.
Hill gave his team the perfect start with a try inside the first minute. The Bay then raced out to a fully deserved 20-3 lead in the first 31 minutes, playing their best rugby this season. They looked on course for a crucial win that would have taken them level on 17 points with Wairarapa Bush, Mid Canterbury and West Coast . . . and only five points behind South Canterbury, Thames Valley and Horowhenua Kapiti, all on 22 points with two games to go before the semifinals.
But weak and at times non-existent tackling let the visitors back into the game and they closed the gap to 20-15 in the nine minutes before halftime.
First five-eighth Tom Iosefo, who scored a try in the first half, completed a double when he dotted down in the 52nd minute after quick ball from the base of the scrum by Willy Grogan. Tauatevalu added the conversion, and the Bay were in control at 27-15.
But in the 58th minute, referee James Munro, from Canterbury, showed lock Micaiah Torrance-Reid a red card for “stomping on the head”.
Two minutes later, Munro sent right wing Matt Raleigh to the sinbin for a deliberate knockdown and gave Valley a penalty try, which made it 27-22.
Valley continued to use the extra numbers to stretch the Bay and Matiu Abraham scored in the corner to tie the scores.
With Raleigh back on the field the 14 men rose to the challengeWith Raleigh back on the field the 14 men rose to the challenge and looked to have secured a bonus-point victory when outstanding openside flanker Callum McDonald scored a try, converted by Tauatevalu, to make it 34-27 with five minutes to play.
The try came after the Bay were awarded a five-metre scrum following a superb 50-metre run by replacement centre Oka Sanerivi, who pounced on a misdirected pass and beat two men before jumping out of a tackle by another. When he was brought down, 10 metres out from the tryline, Sanerivi offloaded to Iosefo, who was held up over the line.
With Bay supporters encouraging their players to “hold on to the ball”, the restart needed to be won. Hill, who started the game as hooker but was now playing at No.8, secured possession.
“Run the clock down” was the call and after Hill made a couple of metres and went to ground, reserves Campbell Chrisp (loosehead prop), Shayde Skudder (hooker), Semisi Akana (tighthead prop), Sanerivi, Jacob Cook (lock) and Skudder again followed their skipper, going to ground and recycling the ball for the next pick-and-go.
Valley fans were screaming at their players to get their hands on the ball . . . and with three minutes to play they did.
Tauatevalu’s huge clearing kick was deep and found space. Unfortunately it sat up perfectly for fullback Harry Lafituanai, who launched a counter-attack from 65 metres out, which ended with him beating five players and scoring between the posts. First five-eighth Reece Broughton made it 34-all with time up on the clock.
With spectators expecting Munro to blow for fulltime, the Bay restarted and when Tauatevalu’s kick-off sailed into touch on the full, Valley had a scrum on the halfway line.
Their forwards marched the Bay back five metres before drawing a penalty. The Valley players jumped up and down with their arms raised, confident that Broughton would land the 45-metre kick . . . and he did.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Hill, whose side are away to King Country on Saturday.
“It’s hard to take after we played so well in the opening 30 minutes and then fought back after Micaiah was sent off.
Valley coach Matt Bartleet said, “The Bay owned us at the collision for most of that first half.
“I just told the boys at halftime that if they wanted to win they had to match, if not better, the Bay’s commitment and I thought we did in the second half. But I don’t want to go through another game like that. It was great for spectators, not for coaches. I could hardly look when Reece was taking that last kick.”
Poverty Bay 34 (Tamanui Hill, Tom Iosefo 2, Callum McDonald tries; Andrew Tauatevalu 4 cons, 2 pen).
Thames Valley 37 (penalty try, Alex Bradley, Matiu Abraham, Harry Lafituanai, Sitiveni Tupou tries; Reece Broughton 2 cons, 2 pen).
HT: 20-15 (PB).
