Editorial: Hats off to magnificent Magpies

In his erudite post-match television interview yesterday Hawke's Bay captain Bryn Evans was spot on when he singled out lock Brodie Retallick and prop Ben Tameifuna for special mention.

For the 2011 New Zealand Under-20 representative duo have "Future All Black" stamped all over them. On the evidence of this year's ITM Cup, they could, in the next four-year cycle, join Hika Elliot, Evans, Zac Guildford and Israel Dagg as modern-day Magpie All Blacks.

Retallick has impressed all season as a player of immense ability, physically and mentally. He has a low error rate, makes intelligent choices with the ball and has that extra quality of being hard-nosed - totally committed. It's no surprise that the Chiefs have already moved on him.

Tameifuna is explosive, hard working on attack and defence, and for one so young, has handled himself superbly in the dark arts of his trade.

In many ways, they encapsulate the season that ended with the championship title in Palmerston North yesterday - Retallick there from the beginning, Tameifuna coming into his own later in the campaign.

Credit has to go to coaches Peter Russell and Tom Coventry, who have planned superbly. To lose six top players to World Cup duty, and then three more to injury - No8 Mike Coman, hooker Hika Elliot and centre Tu Umaga-Marshall - and have the talent on hand to plug the gaps and come away with the title was an outstanding achievement.

Even if they hadn't won against Manawatu yesterday (and will it really matter given the NZRU's continual tinkering with this great competition?) hats should be off for the way they have kept the team pointing in the right direction and developed talent.

The attacking team they selected for yesterday's match, after two consecutive losses, delivered exactly what they would have envisaged. Every Bay player stood up, with the halves Chris Eaton and Daniel Kirkpatrick having their best games of the season.

For this critic, the special heroes of the campaign were what I would describe as players' players. Outside back Richard Buckman, second-five Andrew Horrell, loose forward Karl Lowe, front-rower Hikairo Forbes and Evans - the latter two in their last cup campaigns before heading overseas. Forbes was a revelation at hooker, and would be worthy of a "come back soon" call, although the other Hika might not agree.

The development of Trent Boswell-Wakefield, Adam Bradey and Jodi Allen, and the raw athletic promise shown by Maselino Paulino were among other positives. And stranger things have happened than a player like blockbusting young winger Tio Nemani finding himself with a Super Rugby contract.

Won seven, lost four, won the congested championship - let's hear it for the 2011 Magpies, every last one of them.