King Country lost 80-3 to Wanganui the previous week, and they started Saturday’s game strongly, camping inside the Bay’s half for the first four minutes. But when the first points came, it was Bay left-winger Andrew Tauatevalu who scored them.
Tauatevalu, fast gaining a reputation for scoring intercept tries, again showed good anticipation to intercept a pass 60 metres from the King Country line, and there was no stopping the long-striding winger.
Undeterred by that setback, the visitors took the game to the Bay and it needed two copybook try-saving tackles from Bay fullback and man of the match Ethine Reeves on left-winger Dean Church to keep the Rams from scoring.
However, loosehead prop Carl Carmichael levelled the scores with an unconverted try after 14 minutes.
Four minutes later, King Country centre Jesse Williams put his side in front with a try, which first five-eighth Reece McDonald converted from the sideline, and it was 12-5 to King Country.
King Country then lost lock Aarin Dunster to the sin bin, for a foot trip, and the Bay hit back, Ngatu crashing over following a lineout close to the tryine. Tauatevalu added the conversion to lock the scores at 12-all.
With both sides running the ball at every opportunity, Poverty Bay reclaimed the lead in the 31st minute though No.8 Siosiua Moala, who was not far behind Reeves for the man-of-the-match award.
As Dunster waited on the sideline to make his return, King Country struck with a try to Church, after a Beauden Barrett-like crossfield kick from McDonald. Church soared above his marker to dot down.
“Why couldn’t they have played like that last week,” said a King Country supporter, as the teams left the field at halftime.
Needing a win to keep their season alive, Poverty Bay came out firing for the second half and took the lead within the opening two minutes. Reeves made a superb break up the middle before offloading to first five-eighth Kelvin Smith, who scored between the posts. Tauatevalu converted.
The bonus point now banked, all that remained was for the Bay to go on and finish the job.
But King Country had other ideas and, shortly after, McDonald closed the gap to four points with a penalty.
Urged on by the most vocal crowd of the year, the Bay replied through a Tauatevalu penalty to make it 29-22.
With 24 minutes to play the Bay were awarded a penalty try (automatic conversion) and the gap was now 14 points.
Still King Country refused to throw in the towel and two minutes later that man Church scored a try, converted by McDonald, and the gap was back to seven points.
That should have been the signal for the Bay to shut up shop, give the ball to the forwards and run down the clock.
Instead, the ball was turned over far too often and King Country came close to bagging a try which, if converted, would have made it 36-all with five minutes to play.
But the Bay were determined to have the final say and Semisi Akana, on for Ngatu, sealed the win with a try, converted by Reeves.
“The boys showed a lot of character today,” Bay coach Mana Otai said.
“King Country kept coming back at us but the boys never let their heads drop. That and the win were the most pleasing aspects for me.”
Others to play well for the Bay were lock Everard Reid and halfback Mario Counsell. Reid reigned supreme in the lineouts, winning all his own ball and making King Country work hard for theirs. Counsell had his best game of the season, firing out passes quickly and accurately.
His replacement, Willy Grogan, continued the flow of passes to his backs. Jacob Cook, on for Reid, made an impact, particularly on defence in the hectic late stages of the game.
Poverty Bay 43 (penalty try, Andrew Tauatevalu, Sione Ngatu, Siosiua Moala, Kelvin Smith, James Grogan tries; Tauatevalu 4 con, pen) King Country 29 (Dean Church 2, Carl Carmichael, Jesse Williams tries; Reece Macdonald 3 con, pen). HT: 19-19.
