Adversity is said to breed resilience.
And for the Poverty Bay Weka, their 2.30pm appointment tomorrow with Thames Valley will be their salute at home to the faithful who have turned out to cheer them on in a season to test the most devout.
The Civil Project Solutions Poverty Bay fans saw them give Whanganui a heck of a run, 47-36, on Damo’s Day at Paddy’s Park, Patutahi in Week 2.
The Weka also fought tooth and nail in Week 4 against Wairarapa Bush before going down 39-24 at the Oval.
The Oval was also the site last weekend of King Country’s 49-15 win over the locals.
But it would not do to forget that, on that field, the Weka beat Ngati Porou East Coast Kaupoi 50-12 to retain the Anaru “Skip” Paenga Memorial Shield on King’s Birthday Weekend and won an eight-tries-to-seven shoot-out, 48-39, over Eastern Bay of Plenty on August 3.
A lot of hard rugby has been played on the Oval this season.
Poverty Bay head coach Miah Nikora would remember that, despite his team sitting 12th and last on the table with five points and the Thames Valley Swamp Foxes riding high in third, last year’s August encounter between the sides was closely fought — the Valley winning 24-17.
“We’re up against a very good team in Thames Valley. We’re going to need to be a more clinical with ball-in-hand in order to create pressure,” Nikora said.
“We’re putting moments of really good effort in, but that needs to happen for 80 minutes.”
The Bay have won 32 games to the Swamp Foxes’ 23 over the years. The biggest win to the Weka was 65-3 at home in a Lochore Cup semifinal in 2007.
Poverty Bay won six of their meetings in a row against the Thames Valley Swamp Foxes between 1985 and 1992, and seven on the trot between 2006 and 2012.
But history is history. The Swamp Foxes go into tomorrow having won five from six Heartland games in 2024; the Weka have lost all six.
Valley co-head coaches Joe Murray and David Harrison are aware Poverty Bay have everything to win and nothing to lose while Valley centurion Harrison (102) has knowledge of the Weka’s grit and quality to impart.
Tomorrow’s referee is King Country’s Matt Astle, who made his first-class and Heartland debut when he controlled Ngati Porou’s 23-17 win over the Weka in Ruatōria in Week 3. His assistants are Matt Smith and Ben Holt.
Tomorrow’s teams
Poverty Bay Weka, 1-23: Nik Patumaka, Shayde Skudder (c), Sam Hudson, Duran Smith, Harawira Kahukura, Atonio Vukicicakaudrove, Keanu Taumata (vc), Hugh Taylor, Tione Hubbard, Rana Hubbard, Matthew Proffit, Jacob Leaf, Ethine Reeves, Iowane Filimone, Paoraian Manuel-Harman. Res: Ngahiwi Manuel, Nehe Papuni, James Higgins, Sonny Woodmass/Jarryd Broughton, Kupu Lloyd, Israel Fox, Mitchell Purvis, Cohen Loffler.
Thames Valley, 1-22: Will Martin, Josh Tye, Fa’amua Kupita, Tayne Tupaea, Brett Ranga, Laulea Mau, Kenan Gillson, Matthew Axtens, Jake O’Connor, Todd Doolan, Sione Etoni, Fletcher Morgan, Rodney Tongotea, Alex Thrupp, Quinn Collard. Res: Jack O’Halloran, Te Huia Kutia, Bryson Williams, Connor McVerry, Isaac Seiulu, Cam Gerlach, Cameron Dromgool.