During his days as Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team manager Dave Stevenson experienced some agonising losses.
The Magpies manager during 2006, '07 and '08, Stevenson, experienced similar forms of agony during Saturday's Central Region division one playoffs of the Bowls New Zealand inter-regional sevens at his Bowls Napier club and again during yesterday's Central Region playoffs for the national interclub fours. On Saturday his Bowls Napier team finished second to Manawatu's Northern club by a one point differential and yesterday his Bowls Napier four, skipped by his brother Mark, was again second by one point differential to a Palmerston North four.
Yesterday the Stevenson brothers were joined by lead Malcolm Stockwell and two Whitu Lloyd. Stockwell and the Stevensons played on Saturday, the Stevensons as a pair and Stockwell in a four.
"We weren't quite there today and the Palmy boys were outstanding ... all four of them," Stevenson said pointing to Palmerston North skip Pat Horgan, three Clayton Simpson, two Dean Gilshnan and lead Mike Abraham.
However two Hawke's Bay teams qualified for the March 22 and 23 New Zealand inter-regional sevens at Palmerston North. They were the Heretaunga division one women's team of singles player Natarsha Grimshaw, pair Colleen Ferrick and Jane Selby-Paterson and four Lynn Stowe, Elaine Lange, Glenys Riddell and Lois Stewart and the Heretaunga division two men's team of singles player Byron Brook, pair Bill Hynd and Jim Riddell and four Paul Selby, John Young, Peter Wester and Bruce O'Sullivan.
