Bay challenging themselves

Poverty Bay No.8 Stuart Leach looks to beat a Buller player in a Heartland Championship Round 1 clash at the Oval on Saturday. The Wekas face Thames Valley in Te Aroha in Round 2 tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

After a victorious  start to the Heartland Championship on home soil, Poverty Bay are out to build momentum in their Round 2 road trip.

The Civil Project Solutions Poverty Bay Wekas, fresh from an encouraging 52-33 win over Buller in Gisborne last Saturday, are in Te Aroha tomorrow to do battle with Thames Valley’s Swamp Foxes (2.30pm kick-off) at Boyd Park.

Tūranga Wāhine play Thames Valley Vixens (12.30pm) in the curtain-raiser in the opening round of the inaugural North Island Heartland women’s competition.

Wekas head coach Miah Nikora, while happy with their start, said their focus was on improving week by week.

“It’s about challenging ourselves to get better.”

If they can repeat the devastating start of last week, when they piled on 40 points in 23 minutes, they have a good chance of making it two from two.

But they face a Valley side who also started on a positive note, beating six-times Meads Cup champions Whanganui 36-33 on the Butcher Boys’ home Cooks Gardens patch .

History is on the Wekas’ side. When the sides met in Round 7 in Gisborne last year, bottom-of-the-table Poverty Bay beat third-placed Valley 29-17 — the win moving them up to 10th on the table.

The Wekas have won four of their past five matches against the Swamp Foxes and have a 16-12 record overall,

But the 2023 Thames Valley are a fresh-faced side. They debuted 12 players in their win against Whanganui and Nikora knows well the threat they will bring, especially at home.

“Over the last few years Thames Valley have been one of the top dogs in the Heartland Championship.

“They are consistently in the top-four space so we know it is going to be a tough challenge. But the challenge for us is to challenge ourselves.”

The return of giant prop Jarryd Broughton has been a huge boost for the Wekas, filling a gap left through the unavailability of Toru Noanoa.

Nikora was to confirm his 23-man squad at training last night (after The Herald went to print).

A shoulder injury to Round 1 lock Morgan Reedy is likely to see Jordan Kingi make his first-class debut. And with the unavailability of second-five Mitch Purvis and centre Ted Walters, and midfield back Taine Aupouri out injured, Nashwen Mouton has been brought up from the Tūranga Tāne squad and is likely to start on the bench as cover.

Nikora again stressed how important home games were and with tomorrow being the Swamp Foxes’ first of the season said: “We are expecting a massive challenge.”

Heartland Championship Round 2 draw: Ngāti Porou East Coast v Mid Canterbury, Ruatoria; Buller v Whanganui, Westport; Horowhenua K    apiti v West Coast, Levin; King Country v South Canterbury, Taupō; North Otago v Wairarapa Bush, Omaru; Thames Valley v Poverty Bay, Te Aroha.