They were the first team to push Aoraki South Canterbury to the brink in that Green and Black union’s greatest era.
They inspired the best of the rest to take the field with their heads up — against Timaru’s finest, to at least go down fighting.
And though Ngati Porou East Coast lost the 1 v 4 Meads Cup semifinal 17-34 at Pleasant Point Domain on October 7, 2023, they lit a torch that Steelform Whanganui — beaten Meads Cup finalists, 30-40, last year — carried into round 1 of this Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship.
South Canterbury beat Whanganui 37-36 on the road in the first Heartland game of the season, and on Sunday at Eden Park Stadium Horowhenua-Kāpiti held them to 28-24. While last time around between Ngati Porou East Coast and South Canterbury it was about spying the peak v the two-time defending champions, this Saturday it will be about survival.
The Kaupoi presented the Arthur Wickes Memorial Trophy to West Coast after a heady battle on John Sturgeon Park in Greymouth at the weekend, won 37-19 by West Coast.
As a result of that, the 32nd clash of the Coasties (NPEC) v the Coasters, the teams have won 16 games apiece and the Sky Blues have dropped from 5th place to 8th, and West Coast are now in 7th position.
The Kaupoi must — 2.30pm at Fraser Park, Timaru, on Saturday — defy all odds to beat South Canterbury with four tries for a maximum five competition points — and beat Copthorne Wairarapa-Bush with four tries at Trust House Memorial Park in Masterton the weekend after to stand a mathematical chance of qualifying for the Meads Cup (top 4 of 12) semis.
Of the two tries to five loss v West Coast, NPEC head coach Kahu Tamatea said simply he felt that “we made too many mistakes and we missed too many tackles to win it”.
His opposite, Sean Cuttance, said: “We’re happy. It’s nice to get a fine day, see our lads play with confidence and have fun.”
All is not lost for the Sky Blues, but they’ll have to end South Canterbury’s run of 37 consecutive wins to stay in Meads Cup contention.
On Saturday, NPEC captain halfback Sam Parkes won the coin-toss and the hosts’ second five Jarel Hemehema kicked off in excellent conditions. The home team made a grand start, with a magnificent break-out try to right wing Sean McClure (5th minute), fullback Jaime Garland (7th minute) the next man to score. First five Jacob Waikari-Jones converted the Garland try for 12-0, and 12 minutes in, Waikari-Jones added to that a penalty goal for 15-0.
The visitors, dedicated as the Sky Blues are to playing as a team, found inspiration in the form of fullback Whaimotu Craft-Chemis, who dotted down for their first try 15 minutes in. Waikari-Jones’ opposite, Carlos Kemp, converted the Craft-Chemis try for NPEC 7, West Coast 15.
At the half-hour mark, West Coast left wing Kane Parker scored in the corner and, from the 22, Waikari-Jones then landed a miraculous conversion for 22-7.
The Kaupoi took another deep breath, and two minutes later, came up trumps: from a line-out 3m short of the left corner, the Coast wheedled their way right, then left, and finally left wing Apirana Pewhairangi — a late change from centre — gave a return pass to Parkes, who went through traffic to score 12m to the left of the posts to score. With Kemp’s conversion, the home team went to the break 22-14 ahead.
As they had at the start of the game, the Red and Whites got two tries, to centurion hooker Troy Tauwhare (48m) and halfback Jared Mitchell (59m), the second of which was converted by the efficient, unflappable Waikari-Jones. The Coasters held the reins 34-14 until the 64th minute, when Waikari-Jones kicked a penalty goal for 37-14: at that point, an unassailable lead.
In the 85th minute, Parkes completed his double to end a hard, fast encounter. The Kaupoi front-row took a tighthead at a West Coast scrum set on the home team’s 22, just to the right of their posts. The visitors poured through on the blindside, and Parkes’ muscular effort was judged a try by Canterbury referee Daniel Moore.
There was no conversion: 2024 Lochore Cup champions West Coast now hold the Arthur Wickes Memorial Trophy for the first time since 2021.
Final whistle
West Coast 37 (Sean McClure, Jaime Garland, Kane Parker, Troy Tauwhare, Jared Mitchell tries; Jacob Waikari-Jones 2 pen, 2 con) Ngati Porou East Coast Kaupoi 19 (Sam Parkes 2, Whaimotu Craft-Chemis tries; Carlos Kemp 2 con). HT West Coast 22 NPEC 14.