KEY POINTS:
Poverty Bay got their act together just in time to pull off a stunning 38-35 comeback win over South Canterbury in the Lochore Cup rugby final in Gisborne yesterday.
A try to replacement flanker Piripi Douglas in the last movement of the match sealed a victory which looked well beyond them at halftime. His touchdown, in the 82nd minute, enabled Poverty Bay to retain the Cup won 12 months ago, a prospect which looked distinctly distant when 16-32 in arrears at the interval.
"I thought we were dead and buried," Poverty Bay captain Scott Leighton said. "They shut up shop in one corner and we couldn't get our hands on the ball. The boys dug deep - to use an old cliche - and it was last-minute stuff. I'm ecstatic, rapt."
Poverty Bay showed much better accuracy after the break, eradicating many of the errors which had allowed South Canterbury to score four tries in the first spell. They slowly ground down South Canterbury, whose lead was pegged back by reliable goalkicker Leighton either side of a try to second five-eighth Ian Logan.
Having relinquished the lead in the sixth minute when outstanding blindside flanker Tuita Tauelangi scored South Canterbury's opening try, Poverty Bay finally reclaimed it in the 68th minute when referee Chris Rooney awarded them a penalty try.
Rooney ruled a South Canterbury forward detached from a back-pedalling 5m scrum before trying to kick the ball clear.
Leighton's simple conversion nudged them in front 33-32 but that lead was shortlived as South Canterbury first five-eighth Mark Tutton almost immediately landed his third penalty goal to edge the visitors ahead.
Poverty Bay refused to be bowed and gamely retained possession as time ticked down. Regulation time had passed when they attacked for one last time, the hardworking Logan providing the half-break before finding Douglas on his shoulder as the bustling flanker found the tryline.
"We did it well. To be honest we had turned the ball over and lost it so many times earlier in the game; we had to hold on to it sooner or later," Leighton said.
Earlier, South Canterbury had shown their predatory qualities to earn a seemingly decisive halftime lead.
Poverty Bay made 11 handling errors in the first half to gift away possession. It cost them dearly as midfield back Steve Kotua snapped up an intercept try and Tauelangi ran 40m down the touchline for a try after South Canterbury snared an errant pass.
Tauelangi played a prominent role in the two other ties also - feeding 121kg prop Sione Tuliakiono, who showed remarkable footwork in a 22m dab to the line, and again proving a vital link before hooker Fainga'a Savieti powered over the line.
Meanwhile, North Otago finally wore down Wanganui's resistance to win the Meads Cup rugby final 25-8 in Oamaru yesterday.
The pre-match favourites overcame a slew of handling mistakes and stout Wanganui defence to score three tries to one and claim the premier Heartland championship title.
A scrappy first half ended with the teams locked at 8-8 before North Otago's physical forwards began to up their intensity and impose themselves.
Even then it was not until the last 12 minutes that North Otago managed to pull clear as Wanganui, who lost last year's final to Wairarapa Bush, finally wilted in the face of the home side's dominant scrum and big ball carriers.
The match turned for good in the 68th minute when North Otago halfback Kilifi Fangupo produced the individual highlight of a keen contest - an outstanding try after a 40m angled run from a scrum.
Lochore cup final
Poverty Bay 38
South Canterbury 35
