McKewen Petroleum North Otago Old Golds centre Ben McCarthy is the meat being sandwiched by his Poverty Bay Weka opposite Cohen Loffler (headgear) and thickset No.8 Niko Lauti. Photo / Masi Vakalala
How will this season be remembered in years to come?
That question would resonate with followers of the Poverty Bay Weka of 2025 in the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship.
If the core of the current squad is retained, remain as close to injury-free as possible, continue to improve and play to a consistently high standard, then they could be a Meads Cup contender.
The Bay, who a year ago had lost all eight of their competition matches, finished their latest campaign with a played nine, won four, record, bowing out in the 2 v 3 Lochore Cup semifinal against the McKeown Petroleum North Otago Old Golds on Saturday.
“It was a great occasion and in terms of an 80-minute effort - our best game of the season, but for accuracy in key moments,” said the Scarlet and Whites’ first-year head coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman.
“Those key moments included the crucial period straight after we’d scored points. We were pleased with our performance up front - the boys won a couple of penalties at the scrum. Our tips and our backdoor plays were also good.
“Playing into the wind in the second half, we had to hold onto the ball a lot more and aggressive runners like our lock Harawira Kahukura, second-five Braedyn Grant and regular co-captain loosehead prop Lance Dickson - were really important.”
North Otago came from 17-29 down to pip the Bay 48-46 after 80 minutes at the Ōamaru Agricultural and Pastoral Showgrounds, in a try-fest.
North Otago right-wing Sevenaia Druma, one of four players to score twice, picked up a bobbling ball from centre Ben McCarthy 5m from the goal-line, and slid in to score the match-winning try in the right corner.
His try was unconverted, but in the 27C heat, 1200-plus in attendance were treated to a free-flowing, juicy battle.
Hooker Ngahiwi Manuel, game-day captain of the Weka, won the coin-toss: he chose an end, with a gusting northwesterly at the visitors’ backs, for the 30th game between the unions since 1986 (North Otago 21, Poverty Bay 8, one draw).
Poverty Bay fullback Nicholas Proffit opened the scoring and converted the first try in his double after two minutes, for 7-0. Left-wing Kyoni Te Amo-Poki’s try in the ninth minute made the score 12-0. In the 13th minute, Druma struck back for the home team, and lock Ratu Logavatu followed suit for North Otago 10, the Bay 12.
At the 20-minute mark, Proffit - running hard left - grubber-kicked and won the ensuing chase to ground the ball just centimetres inside the dead-ball line, completing his double. With his conversion, the score was 19-10.
Grant, whose courage and skill in the air had been enormously valuable to Poverty Bay v Wairarapa-Bush the previous Saturday, caught the ball at the restart but then, fighting through a tackle, hurt his left ankle. His balance and footwork had provided his midfield opponents with a stern test until his replacement by one of the competition’s most direct runners in Anthony Karauria.
North Otago head coach Luke Herden was in no doubt: such were the conditions, speed and intensity of what was one of the best games of this Heartland Championship. The players from both teams were almost out on their feet when Otago referee Caleb Neilson blew his whistle for full-time.
The Old Golds would not go away. Big No.8 Junior Fakatoufifita, their Most Valuable Player, made it three tries apiece after 26 minutes.
The powerful back-row forward played a strong game all-round, even as the Poverty Bay pack laid a great platform at the scrum, while their lock Harawira Kahukura and Fakatoufifita’s opposite, Niko Lauti, had a superb game at the line-out.
Fakatoufifita’s try was converted by the savvy McCarthy: the Weka still led 19-17. Proffit landed the first penalty goal of the day for 22-17 in the 32nd minute, and nuggety right-wing Josaia Bosaka - the Bay’s MVP - got the ball down in the 37th minute for 27-17. With Proffit’s third conversion, the score was 29-17.
Two minutes later, mighty Logavatu scored his second try of the semifinal, which McCarthy converted.
The Scarlet and Whites led 29-24 at the break in a game that featured a number of skilful passages of play, and passing movements sideline to sideline.
Six minutes after the resumption, Old Golds blindside flanker Mitchell Morton scored: the hosts had drawn level, at 29-29. His try was not converted, nor was the next try to Manuel. The Poverty Bay skipper scored his 10th try of the season 51 minutes in, Weka 34, North Otago 29.
The pace of the game was quick throughout; now an element of desperation took hold. Bosaka scored the lively, muscular finisher’s second try in the 54th minute, with a conversion by Proffit for 41-29.
North Otago co-captain rake Hayden Tisdall, in the 63rd minute, scored the hit-back try that gave the Old Golds hope: McCarthy converted Tisdall’s try to extend a glimmer of hope.
The door was now ajar.
The visitors continued to charge hard with ball-in-hand into the furious nor’wester, slogging hard to make metres and hold the Mainlanders’ big runners back. In the 69th minute, Poverty Bay reserve halfback Silas Brown scored the Reds’ seventh and last try. The Bay now led 46-36. All that remained to be seen was whether or not the courageous Weka could hang on.
Tisdall’s co-captain, blindside flanker Cameron Rowland, a New Zealand Barbarians representative in 2023, scored in the 71st minute. McCarthy’s great kick for the Old Golds 43, Scarlets 46, had given the hosts a fighting chance, and in the 80th minute Druma’s instincts to stay alive in support of McCarthy got them home, at home.
For Poverty Bay, the season has ended: North Otago will now host the Red, White and Blue of Horowhenua-Kapiti in the Lochore Cup Final at 2.05pm this Sunday, October 19.
On Saturday, from 2.05pm, the unbeaten Mid-Canterbury Hammers are at home, the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Showgrounds, to 2024 champions the Quarrymen and Contractors Thames Valley Swamp Foxes in this year’s Meads Cup Final.
North Otago won the Lochore Cup in 2009 and 2016, the Meads Cup in 2007, 2010 and 2019. The ‘Nua won the Lochore Cup in 2018.
Poverty Bay won the National Provincial Championship third division in 1987 and 2004, and the Lochore Cup in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011.
At the end of round-robin play this season, they were placed 7th of 12 teams.