‘We didn’t front up’,Forwards fail to fire in heavy loss

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE: Poverty Bay replacement midfield back Isaia Vuki reaches over to score in the second half in a Heartland Championship game against Horowhenua Kapiti here on Saturday. The Bay were well beaten, 39-5, after trailing 27-0 at halftime. It was a second consecutive loss for the Bay who face Wanganui this weekend. Picture by Paul Rickard

IT’S back to the drawing board for LeaderBrand Poverty Bay coach Mana Otai after his side were given a lesson in wet-weather rugby by Horowhenua Kapiti in a Heartland Championship game here on Saturday.

The 39-5 bonus-point win takes Horowhenua to the top of the competition, with two wins from two games.

Before the match, Otai spoke about work to be done at set pieces following last week’s 34-5 loss to Mid Canterbury.

On this performance, few of the Bay forwards will be looking forward to training this week.

“We just didn’t front up where it counts — up front — and that’s very disappointing,” said Otai, whose side play defending champions Wanganui, also unbeaten after two rounds, this Saturday.

Despite the two losses, Otai said he was not thinking about adding more loan players to the squad.

“That’s not a consideration at this stage. There are still six games to go and I know we can improve.”

Bay skipper and openside flanker James Grogan agreed with his coach regarding the performance of the pack.

“We didn’t turn up to play today, which is hard to understand,” Grogan said.

“We had a good build-up during the week but once we took the field we didn’t compete. We didn’t give the backs any ball to play with.”

Grogan and No.8 Siosiua Moala were the best performers in a disappointing showing from the pack.

A major concern for Otai was their inability to retain possession.

They say rugby is all about the three P’s — possession, position and pace.

The Bay had the first two in the first half but failure to hang on to the ball cost them dearly, Horowhenua Kapiti scoring three tries, all converted by So’oialo, as well as two So’oialo penalties.

Another turnover three minutes into the second half resulted in left-winger Willie Paia’aua stretching the gap. The Bay were 20 metres from the tryline in the middle of the park when the ball was dropped.

So’oialo kicked the ball out towards the left wing and close to the halfway line. Bay right-winger Karl Macpherson slipped as he went to secure possession and the ball spilled forward to Paia’aua, who scored between the posts.

The introduction of Everard Reid at halftime for blindside flanker Leslie Hills gave the Bay desperately needed strength and experience and, despite Paia’aua adding a second try, the Bay were looking more threatening on attack.

Kelvin Smith put his hand up for a starting spot against Wanganui when he came on at first five-eighth. He turned Horowhenua around with deep kicks behind the defence and looked lively on attack.

Smith, Reid, Matekairoa McGuire (hooker), Mario Counsell (replacement halfback) and fullback Ethine Reeves all had a hand in Isaia Vuki (replacement midfield back) scoring a try in the 66th minute. But it was too little too late.

“I was absolutely stoked with the performance,” the visitors’ coach Chris Wilton said.

“Every week you win it gives you more self-belief. We worked hard in pre-season on developing a good team culture and I’m going to find it hard to pick a player of the day.”

While several were in contention, first five-eighth James So’oialo, brother of former All Black Rodney So’oialo, controlled the game superbly.

Not far behind were lock William Lander, blindside flanker Aaron Lahmert, hooker Nathan McKendrick, Paia’aua and fullback Andrew McDougall.

POVERTY BAY 5 (I Vuki try).

HOROWHENUA KAPITI 39 (W Paia’aua 2, T Reti, N Kendrick, J So’oialo tries; J So’oialo 4 con, 2 pen).

HT: 27-0.

Other results: Wanganui 22 Thames Valley 19, Buller 34 West Coast 19, North Otago 31 Mid Canterbury 25, South Canterbury 42 King Country 36, Wairararpa Bush 36 Ngati Porou East Coast 10.