Otago’s first try came in the sixth minute to No.8 Junior Fakatoufifita and fullback Lucas Ollion slotted the conversion.
An Ollion penalty in the 19th minute pushed them further ahead and they underlined their intentions in the 27th when prop Meli Konlinisau crossed for another five-pointer for a 15-0 lead.
The Bay found some momentum and closed the deficit with a converted try to Tikicidre (15-7) in the 30th.
Another Ollion penalty made it 18-7 and he converted his own try in the last play of the half for 25-7.
It became 28-7 in the 53rd with Ollion’s third successful penalty.
But as the Bay have shown at times during the season, they can be down but never out.
They suddenly turned on the afterburners and went into “full ludicrous” Tesla mode.
It started with captain and hooker Shayde Skudder scoring a try in the 54th minute and Patricio adding the conversion (28-14).
The Bay quickly got back inside North Otago territory and halfback and vice-captain Ra Broughton scored a try in the 59th minute, converted by replacement fullback Moses Christie (28-21).
Just a few minutes later, the Bay — on a roll — struck again. First five Mitch Purvis scored and Christie added the two to deadlock the score at 28-apiece.
Under immense pressure, Otago finally stopped the Bay juggernaut with a try to replacement prop Jake Greenslade.
Ollion’s conversion made it 35-28 to the home side.
However, the men from Tairāwhiti were not done.
Replacement wing Hunter Mokomoko reignited their hopes when he crossed the line in the 74th minute to close it to 35-33.
And Christie completed one of the Bay’s great days when he scored and converted his try in the 78th minute.
Nikora was almostspeechless.
“From where we have come from in the last month, it looked like our season was almost dead and buried,” he said.
“That goes back to the character of those boys. The heart shown over the last month and the game on Saturday . . . to come back from almost being down and out in that game.”
“The (first-half) stats were overwhelmingly against us,” Nikora said. “We were only in their half on three occasions , which we scored one try from.
“They had over 70 percent of the ball in that half so we weren’t able to get our attacking game going.”
Halftime probably couldn’t have come at a better time for the Bay and there was plenty said.
“It was just around our discipline — making sure our discipline was good; getting the ball and keeping the ball; our ball carriers being direct early on to build continuity and phases.
“We always knew we could do it. The belief was there.”
North Otago coach Jason Forrest said this match was a lot like the game they played at the Oval in Week 6 (North Otago won 50-43 after leading 38-12 at halftime).
“We got out to a really good lead (on Saturday) and played some really good rugby in that first half,” Forrest said. “And then the Bay boys (came back). We knew it was coming. It was a real tense last three or four minutes.”
Forrest said the semifinal reflected their season.
“We have played some really good first-half rugby and we just haven’t been able to nail the second half. But that’s what semifinals are about. Close contests like that and literally down to the final whistle. It could’ve gone either way.
“Full credit to those boys (Poverty Bay), they did well to come back and get the win.
“It was one of the closest Heartland competitions we have had. Good luck to all the teams in the finals and getting Heartland (rugby) out there and putting us on the map.”
Both bottom-ranked in the Lochore Cup semis won. The Bay went in ranked eighth while West Coast, who beat Wairarapa Bush 33-27, were seventh.
POVERTY BAY 40 (Joe Tikicidre, Shayde Skudder, Ra Broughton, Mitch Purvis, Hunter Mokomoko, Moses Christie tries; Ricardo Patricio 2 con, Christie 3 con).
NORTH OTAGO 35 (Junior Fakatoufifita, Meli Kolinisau, Lucas Ollion, Jake Greenslade tries; Ollion 3 con, 3 pen).
