. . . (we had) discipline issues as well, which led to the final result.
“We just can’t let it slip like that. That’s two weeks in a row” he said referring to Week 2’s 24-17 lost to Thames Valley.
A lack of discipline plagued both sides in a whistle-heavy encounter.
Difference was a lot of the Bush’s indiscretions were in Poverty Bay territory or out of kicking distance.
A yellow card to reserve prop James Higgins in the 65th minute also proved costly for the visitors.
The Bush ran in two tries in his time in the sin bin to distance themselves from the Bay.
First-five Ben Brooking put the Bush ahead with a penalty kick in the third minute.
Blindside Marcus Ale extended their lead (8-0) with a try from a lineout near the Bay line at the nine-minute mark.
The Wekas began to find their rhythm, shifting the ball nicely along a backline in which second-five Jacob Leaf stood out.
They were rewarded in the 13th minute when winger Taine Aupouri received the ball from the speedy delivery through the hards and with a last-ditch attempt, he put the ball down in the corner.
After the referee consulted with his assistant and awarded the try, first-five and co-captain Kelvin Smith slotted the conversion from out wide.
Brooking put the bush 11-7 in front with a penalty kick but the home side found themselves on the back foot when centre Fiula Tameilau was yellow-carded around the 35th minute.
Smith kicked the subsequent penalty to make it a one-point game (11-10 to the Bush).
The Wekas took the lead not long after when co-captain and hooker Shayde Skudder went over, and Smith added the conversion to end the half with the Wekas leading 17-11.
Both teams had clearly received stern words from their coaches as they returned for the second spell fired up to get the job done.
The Bush struck first from a Poverty Bay knock-on in their attacking half. The ball was fired out to replacement back Harry Eschenbach, who spotted no cover home for the Bay and kicked upfield from 55 metres out, winger Nikora Ewe winning the race to the ball and the try confirmed after consultation between the ref and his assistant. Tameilau added the conversion to put the Bush 18-17 up.
Higgins was yellow-carded in the 64th minute after what appeared to be a punch thrown in a stoush at a ruck after he won his side turnover ball. Wairarapa Bush were lucky not to lose a player to the bin in that incident as well.
Bush fullback Aseri Waqa scored a try and shortly before the Bay were about to go back to 15 men, No.8 Isireli Biumaiwai forced his way through the defence to score.
At 30-17 down, the Bay ended their second-half points drought when centre Mitch Purvis offloaded to replacement lock Khian Westrupp to run through and score under the sticks.
Smith drop-kicked the conversion to speed up things for the restart. But Wairarapa forced a knock-on and the full-time whistle sounded.
Nikora said the Bush “came out firing” in the first 20 and the Bay’s defence was tested.
“But I thought we came back from that really well and to go into halftime after weathering that storm and building a lead showed we were in a really good space at halftime.”
After battling hard for much of the second half, the effects began to show and penalties proved their downfall.
Poverty Bay picked up a losing bonus point to be seventh on the table topped by defending champions South Canterbury.
The Wekas host Mid Canterbury in Week 4. The southerners beat Horowhenua Kapiti 43-14 on Saturday for their first win of the campaign.
Tūranga Wāhine lost 32-15 to King Country in Gisborne in Week 2 of the North Island Heartland Women’s Championship.
Poverty Bay under-18 girls beat Thames Valley 25-15 in the curtain-raiser..
At the Rectory, Poverty Bay u18 boys had 40-minute games against Thames Valley and East Coast. They beat the Valley 12-3 and the Coast 25-0.
POVERTY BAY 24 (Taine Aupouri, Shayde Skudder, Khian Westrupp tries; Smith 3 con, pen)
WAIRARAPA-BUSH 30 (Marcus Ale, Nikora Ewe, Aseri Waqa, Isireli Biumaiwai tries; Brooking con, 2 pen; Tameilau con)
