Poverty Bay run rampant against Coast

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

THEY were superb. The Poverty Bay under-13 rugby team beat East Coast 95-0 in near-perfect conditions at Whakarua Park, Ruatoria, on Saturday.

Poverty Bay scored 15 tries. Captain and fullback King Maxwell kicked 10 conversions and scored a try.

No.8 Xavier Henare opened the scoring 45 seconds into the game with the first of his two tries.

Others to score tries were lock Hikurangi Reid (4), second five-eighth Amelia Pasikala (3), loose-head prop Lathaneal Niwa-Karakia, halfback Kaden Moeke, left-winger Luca Russell, right-winger Kaia Gate and reserve winger Wiremu Maxwell.

Wiremu Maxwell’s try was an example of vision and unselfish play. Gate fielded a clearing kick from inside the Coast’s 22, went right to King Maxwell, who passed to Wiremu Maxwell, who hit the ball hard to finish the movement.

“It was good to put practice into play,” said Bay coach Duane Hihi.

“For us, it was important that our structures worked, and that we tried different combinations. The forwards laid a good platform, well-directed by (first-five) Carlos Hihi and King Maxwell.

“Hiku and Amelia ran strongly with the ball in hand but I also want to give credit to the Coast. That was the smallest Coast team I’ve seen but they showed a lot of heart and never gave up, despite the score.”

Coast prop Liam Henderson shone in the tight exchanges, foraging for the ball, and Taipari Wirepa made one of the best tackles of the game on Pasikala late in the first half.

Pasikala — the daughter of Tapuae’s legendary giant Tavita Pasikala — is dynamic with the ball in hand and incredibly strong.

Also outstanding for the Coast was fullback Cyprus Schumann, who made a try-saving tackle on King Maxwell just before halftime.

The Bay led 43-0 at the break but Schumann remained fearless, taking the ball hard into contact. He has great promise, as does Coast captain and loosehead prop Jordyn Tiohore. She made a memorable charge out of her own 22, going by and through would-be defenders with the score 74-0 at the time.

The coaches — Hihi and East Coast’s David Newton — have players who wear their union’s jersey with pride and play with passion. The talent in both sides is considerable and the young women playing in both teams were among the most fearsome runners with the ball on Whakarua Park all day.