Lochore Cup the aim for Bay

Poverty Bay wing Taine Aupouri scores a try against North Otago last weekend at the Oval. Aupouri will be moving to centre tomorrow against Horowhenua Kāpiti in Levin as Ted Walters is unavailable. Picture by Paul Rickard

It ain’t over yet.

Poverty Bay may be languishing in 11th place on the Heartland Championship table but they are not giving up on making the Lochore Cup playoffs (fifth to eighth).

A win tomorrow at Levin Domain against Horowhenua Kāpiti would break a five-game losing streak and could push the Civil Project Solutions Poverty Bay Wekas into Lochore Cup contention albeit depending on other results.

The Wekas, on 10 points thanks to six bonus points, are only three points behind eighth-placed Mid Canterbury with two round-robin games to go, although the last for the Bay is against defending champions South Canterbury, who have not lost a Heartland game since 2019.

Mid Canterbury play fifth-placed North Otago tomorrow.

The last time the Bay met Horowhenua Kāpiti was in Week 8 of the 2021 season. The hosts came from behind to win 34-33 at the Boys’ High rectory field. The match was moved from Rugby Park because the field was waterlogged.

If the Bay earn the maximum five points tomorrow, it could lift them into eighth. However, they will need to hit the ground running unlike last week’s first half against North Otago, who scored 26 unanswered points in the opening 15 minutes.

The Bay gained traction in the latter stages of the first half to trail 38-12 at the break and continued their momentum into the second half which they won 31-12 in a 50-43 loss.

Wekas head coach Miah Nikora acknowledged consistency had been an issue for his side.

“Looking back at Buller (52-33 win) and Thames Valley (24-17 loss), we started really well,” Nikora said.

“Against Wairarapa Bush (30-24 loss) and Mid Canterbury (23-20 loss), we were a bit slow. Against the Coast (Ngāti Porou East Coast, a 31-11 loss), we started alright but the Saturday just gone we were obviously pretty poor for that first 15 (minutes) — being 26-nil down.

“We asked for feedback from the team on Tuesday night about anything we can do differently within our pre-game warm up and even before that.

“That’s the frustrating thing. When we’re on, we’re on. But on the flipside, when we’re been off, we’re really off.

“We’ve been playing in that middle ground. We have either been one or the other and that has got us into trouble.

“We want to start the game (tomorrow) how we started that second half on Saturday. There will be a big emphasis around our forwards and laying that platform early.”

Regular co-captain and first five Kelvin Smith is unlikely to return this season after suffering an injury in Week 4.

Jonty Stewart is likely to fill pivot role as he did last weekend.

Midfielder Ted Walters is unavailable this weekend so Taine Aupouri will likely take on the centre role outside line-hitting second-five Jacob Leaf.

“He’s played a lot of rugby in that position at club level as well so he will be able to slot in,” Nilkora said.

Morgan Reedy makes a timely return from injury this week after regular lock Dan Law’s season ended early because of an eye injury.

With rain predicted, the weather could be  similar to the Horowhenua Kāpiti match in 2021.

“I remember it was quite wet and cold,” Nikora said. “We were down quite a bit in that final quarter and managed to turn it around.”

Poverty Bay came from 30-15 down that day to earn the right to face Mid Canterbury for the newly formed Osborne Taonga.

They then beat Mid Canterbury 33-26 to become the first holders of the Taonga, which the Coast took off them last year and still hold.