It was not a terrible outing by the team in scarlet but they were outplayed in the first 60 minutes, leaving themselves too much ground to make up.
Coach Tom Cairns was disappointed.
“Our defence wasn’t good enough early in the game. We gave away the advantage line,” he said.
“We’ve got to front a bit better than that to start games.”
Captain Ken Houkamau said the players were frustrated by halftime.
“Attitude let us down,” he said.
“We missed one-on-one tackles.
“We lost key moments of the game. We left our run too late.”
Contract Consultants Poverty Bay had a period in the first half where they found their groove but most of their better play came in the second half, when only the unlikeliest of comebacks might have burgled the game.
They clawed back the deficit to eight points through a penalty try with four minutes left to play but South Canterbury iced the game with a late penalty goal.
“I was pleased with the second half,” Cairns said.
“The fight was there but it took a while to come out.”
With a win against 2018 Meads Cup champions Thames Valley and then an uninspiring opening sequence against South Canterbury, Poverty Bay will be wary of tolerating dips in intensity or allowing future accomplished opponents to see them rattled.
Openside flanker Adrian Wyrill was Poverty Bay’s player of the day for the second consecutive week, breaking tackles and bagging two tries.
Centre Ethine Reeves, who scored the Bay’s other try, was threatening with ball in hand and first five-eighth Tane McGuire sparked half-chances to get something going.
Halfback Mario Counsell played his 50th game for Poverty Bay.
However, it was mostly their substitutes who shone — halfback Willy Grogan added fizz in his 30th game for the province, prop Semisi Akana had some strong carries of the ball and lock Juston Allen made his presence felt.
South Canterbury, smarting after a first-up loss to North Otago, had a dream start when fullback Zac Saunders ran through a yawning hole, then left wing Brad Tunnicliffe scored the first of his three tries.
Their blindside flanker Anthony Amato ran rampant, No.8 Siu Kakala was difficult to contain and halfback Theo Davidson had a field day with his running game and chip kicks.
Tunnicliffe had a profitable day out and, though opposite wing Hunter Mokomoko also found space, he never got away from the South Canterbury cover defence.
Tunnicliffe dotted down twice in the first eight minutes and Poverty Bay answered with a penalty goal and Wyrill’s first try.
Poverty Bay might have snatched the lead but spilled the ball when the try-line beckoned.
Tunnicliffe went in for his hat-trick and South Canterbury struck a decisive blow just before halftime, with right wing Clarence Moli grabbing an intercept try.
That put them ahead 22-8 and the home side’s task became even more difficult when Moli scored again soon after the break.
South Canterbury extended their lead with a penalty goal to Davidson and a try to fullback Saunders.
Poverty Bay then got going.
Wyrill busted through to bank his second try, Reeves scored between the goalposts and referee Tipene Cottrell awarded Poverty Bay a penalty try for a deliberate South Canterbury knock-on. That got the Bay a competition bonus point.
South Canterbury assistant coach Shaun Breen said his side played much better than they had the previous weekend.
“The boys had to play well to beat Poverty Bay — they gave us a good run for our money.”
He said Poverty Bay “let us get off to a good start” but they made his team work hard in the second half.
South Canterbury brought on their substitutes sooner than planned because of the warm conditions and pace of the game, he said.
South Canterbury captain and openside flanker Nick Strachan said they sought to play with width in the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, they found space around the ruck, he said.
Cairns said South Canterbury had powerful ball carriers.
“They were really good for that first 25 minutes.
“They were better than us at the breakdown.”
Poverty Bay’s next game is at home against North Otago, who have won their first two games.
The match will kick off at Rugby Park on Saturday at 2.30pm.
SOUTH CANTERBURY 40 (Brad Tunnicliffe 3, Clarence Moli 2, Zac Saunders tries; Theo Davidson 1 pen, 2 con; Reilly Cormack 1 pen) POVERTY BAY 29 (penalty try, Adrian Wyrill 2, Ethine Reeves tries; Andrew Tauatevalu 1 pen, 2 con).
HT: 22-8 (South Canterbury).
