Teams and supporters show plenty of heart in finals

The biggest crowd in Wanganui rugby for years went home disappointed by the result but not the effort of the home side in the Meads Cup rugby final.

Close to 6000 people crowded Cooks Gardens and watched Wairarapa Bush deservedly win the final to earn the bragging rights in the upper tier of the Heartland championship.

Poverty Bay refused to venture far from a game plan that has served them so well when winning the Lochore Cup final over King Country in Gisborne.

Wairarapa Bush, the 2005 NPC third division champions, were rewarded not only for the excellence of their play in taking a 16-0 early advantage but also for the tenacity of their defence when Wanganui finally discovered the fire in their belly.

Aseali Tikoirotuma and skipper Denning Tyrell scored tries to put Wanganui back in the running but, somehow or other, the home side could neither milk a late penalty nor get into position for a drop kick at goal. Either would have been enough.

Wairarapa Bush coach Peter Russell, assistant to Ross Cooper in the New Zealand Divisional side, which include 13 players from the two finalists, said an early aim was to "take the big Wanganui crowd out of it".

"I think it was a matter of starting well and then keeping the pressure on. That showed our guys are used to finals.

"Wanganui usually start well, so we had to apply that pressure. We knew they liked to use the ball in midfield with [fullback] Ateria Ateria and the other big winger [Pati Fetuai] coming in. We had to nullify it and stop their go-forward. Simple."

And so it was at 16-0. But not so simple was stopping Wanganui's comeback although Wairarapa Bush held on to inflict Wanganui's first loss of the season.

"Silly mistakes kept Wanganui in the game, like not finding touch, trying to do a little too much with the ball," Russell said.

Wanganui coach Milton Haig had major injury problems in his squad last week and, in the end, the side with the settled build-up won the match.

"We haven't got the prize we wanted but they can still be proud of their performance."

Poverty Bay's win represented fine reward for coach Paul Feeney's determination to adopt an expansive and exciting style of play.

The final produced 11 tries, six to Poverty Bay, who had the outcome settled when leading 43-17 with 25 minutes remaining.

King Country refused to go away, responding with three tries to slash the difference to nine points with eight minutes to go before a late penalty by second five-eighths Ian Logan settled any home team supporter nerves.

Feeney was delighted his side were able to keep entertaining on their way to winning the inaugural prize for teams in the lower tier of the Heartland championship.

"We didn't want to change our style in the final, we were determined to move the ball around but also take the right options," he said.

Meads Cup

Wairarapa Bush 16 Wanganui 14

Lochore Cup

Poverty Bay 46 King Country 34

- NZPA