Two converted tries by East Coast, the 2022 Lochore champions, had their noses in front in the 56th minute, but two tries from the home side in reply seemed to have them safe at 31-21 by the 68th minute and ready to push for the vital bonus point.
Instead, they were left hanging on for dear life as East Coast hit back immediately for a try and then tried to snatch a match-winner, but ran out of clock at 31-26.
However, two bonus points were going to be enough to stay in the top four, as fifth-place North Otago were now five points back at the time of kick-off for their game in Greymouth, and they had also lost to East Coast back in week three.
It made for a miserable afternoon for North Otago, who have remained outside the Meads group since their 2019 title win, as they lost to the Coasters 27-12.
Down 12-10 at halftime, the home side bounced back from the previous weekend’s tough Rundle Cup defeat to neighbours Buller to emerge with a famous win – their only disappointment being that such a good result did not change their position on the table, with the team remaining seventh.
Sixth-placed Wairarapa Bush held on to their home Lochore Cup semifinal spot and ended Mid Canterbury’s season by hanging on for a 33-28 thriller in Ashburton.
Leading 12-5 at halftime, Wairarapa Bush won their first away game of the competition and got the crucial bonus point to stay ahead of the Coasters and host them in the playoffs in Masterton this weekend.
This triggered a sequence of crazy results where three teams, including Mid Canterbury, finished tied for the eighth spot, and it was Poverty Bay who somehow snuck through by a points differential only four points better than the Ashburton union.
But it could be hard to argue they earned it, as Poverty Bay took on Heartland’s dominators South Canterbury and came as close as anybody to ending their now amazing 29-game winning streak, beaten 41-31 in Gisborne.
However, down 26-14 at halftime, Poverty Bay fought back to only trail 33-31 by the 60th minute.
But once again this season, South Canterbury proved clutch for a key burst of points, as a penalty and then a try in the final minutes kept them well clear on top of the table for the third straight season.
Fullback Liueli Simote scored a hat-trick for the visitors, and they will now have a fresh match-up in their Meads semifinal with East Coast at Pleasant Point.
But Poverty Bay’s sole bonus point proved enough and would have devastated King Country, who, despite a superior 3-5 record, including an upset win over Whanganui, finished on the outside looking in even after holding off Buller to take maximum points in Taupō, 33-28.
Both teams had a mathematical chance to claim eighth place, with Buller only two points behind Poverty compared to King Country’s four, but it was not to be for either of them – with King Country repeating their 2018-19 collapse when they finished in the Meads semifinals the first year, then were eliminated from all playoffs the next.
Results for week eight
Thames Valley bt East Coast 31-26. HT: 19-7.
South Canterbury bt Poverty Bay 41-31. HT: 26-14.
Wairarapa Bush bt Mid Canterbury 33-28. HT: 12-5.
West Coast bt North Otago 27-12. HT: 12-10 North Otago.
King Country bt Buller 33-28. HT: 26-14.
Whanganui bt Horowhenua-Kapiti 55-19. HT: 34-14.
Meads Cup semifinal draw:
South Canterbury vs East Coast, Pleasant Point.
Whanganui vs Thames Valley, Cooks Gardens.
Lochore Cup semifinal draw:
North Otago vs Poverty Bay, Oamaru.
Wairarapa Bush vs West Coast, Masterton.
Happenings
TALAWADUA: Whanganui’s former eight-test Black Fern Sosoli Talawadua will taste international rugby again after the 34-year-old front rower was named in the 30-strong Manusina (Samoa) squad who will travel to Cape Town for the WXV2 tournament from October 13-28. The Samoans will match up in pool play against the US, Japan and hosts South Africa. The other sides in the tournament are Italy and Scotland.
RECORD: Steelform Whanganui centre Alekesio Vakarorogo’s Whanganui record of five tries in a First Class game against Horowhenua-Kāpiti last Saturday also tied the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship record. Vakarorogo joins North Otago’s Luke Herden (2010) and Wairarapa-Bush’s Soli Malatai (2018) in scoring five tries in one game.
SEVENS: The WRFU is calling for expressions of interest for coaches to guide the Whanganui Men’s and Women’s Sevens teams for the upcoming Central Region Sevens tournament on November 18 in Palmerston North. Please email jason.liddle@whanganuirugby.co.nz by this Monday.
