They then weathered a five-try onslaught from the visitors that sliced the margin back to a single point before two crucial late penalty goals from second five-eighth Hoera Stephenson sealed the result for the green-and-golds, to complete a personal haul of 18 points with the boot.
Stephenson had moved out to make way for 36-year-old former England rugby league international Rangi Chase to take a place at first five-eighth in his first run-on match for his hometown rugby union club, having returned to New Zealand after a professional league career of 18 years and more than 250 matches across the Australian NRL and the Super League and other upper levels in the UK.
But when he left the field injured, Havelock North capitalised as Aotea’s energy wilted and Chase’s departure resulted in a period of some home-side disarray.
Chase scored the second try, which, with a Stephenson conversion, made it 18-0 after 19 minutes. The first try, after Stephenson’s first two penalties, went to lock Bailey Johnson, and the remaining two went to No. 8 Israel Moke and, on halftime, to left wing Wharemako Paewai.
All four other games were dominated in the first halves by the eventual winners, Hastings Rugby and Sports bouncing back from a loss to Central the previous Saturday to lead Napier Old Boys Marist 21-7 at halftime and win 28-26 at Elwood Rd, Hastings, Taradale leading Central 25-17 at the break and winning 37-24 at Tareha Reserve, Napier, Napier Pirate scoring five converted tries in the first 40 to lead Tamatea 35-0 and then win 47-0 at Bill Mathewson Park, Hastings, and MAC taking it to Clive at Farndon Park, Clive, leading 27-0 at halftime and winning 37-7.
The results mean the three teams that have had byes in the first three matches — Taradale, MAC and cup-holder Napier Tech OB — are the only unbeaten sides, each with two from two.
But with two wins and a loss, OBM have claimed a maximum possible four bonus points, from four tries in each of three games and for getting within seven points on Friday, to top the table with 12pts.
They’re two clear of Taradale, Napier Tech OB, Aotea and Napier Pirate, meaning that of the top five are from Napier clubs, and none from Hastings.
Without wins are Clive, most recently the Hawke’s Bay champion in 2018, once-perennially successful Havelock North (facing a possible 10th consecutive year without either the cup or championship prize the Maddison Trophy), and Tamatea, as the 11-team competition heads into its night round on Wednesday.
In Dannevirke, Stephenson’s four penalty goals and three conversions were the winning of the game, said Aotea manager Bryan Te Huki, while Sam Walton-Sexton, who’s returned to Havelock North this year after a stint overseas and seven Heartland Championship appearances for Wairarapa-Bush last season, came on at halfback at halftime and was a significant player in his side’s comeback of 31 points in 20 minutes, scoring a try and kicking one of the three conversions.
Kinnear acknowledged Aotea’s performance, but said his own team had left half the game “on the bus” and after getting to a position where it could win the game, made some mistakes in the last 10 minutes.
Taradale scored six tries, including two to centre Hemaua Samasoni, against Central, who scored three tries, all converted by No. 10 Jordan Soli, a recruit from Shirley BHS, Christchurch, and who also kicked a penalty in remaining the competition’s top points scorer with 37pts so far.
Another straight out of high school is Hastings R&S first-five Koby Deacon, who converted all four of his side’s tries in the Battle of the Greens, which had been won by OBM in their last meeting at the North Island Marist quadrangular in Taupo pre-season.
Napier Pirate relished the chance to run the ball freely in the early stages of a revival after two or three seasons of disappointment that included relegation from premier rugby, and scored seven tries and kept Tamatea scoreless at the latter’s home ground. First-five and goalkicker Lincoln Blake Bowman also relished the opportunities, kicking six conversions.
MAC also grabbed their chances with six tries against a struggling Clive, five them to the backs, including one to wing Hateni Tafolo, who also kicked two conversions.
In division two matches, Napier OBM, Otane and MAC made it two from two with their wins on Saturday, but there were ominous signs for Napier club Maraenui, which won the division 2 first round just two years but this season is unable to field a team in the grade, and which on Saturday saw its only senior grades side default in division 3.
A similar fate has befallen Dannevirke Sports, regularly well performed in the Manawatu senior 2 grade but unable to field any senior side this year, but will field a Colts team in the Manawatu competition.
Meanwhile, Wairoa clubs Athletic, Tapuae and Nuhaka are scheduled to start their seasons in the Poverty Bay division 1 competition on Saturday. No Wairoa teams are in the Poverty Bay premier grade.
Results of Hawke’s Bay club rugby matches on Friday, April 7:
Premier (Nash Cup):
Aotea 38 (Bailey Johnson, Rangi Chase, Israel Moke, Wharemako Paewai tries; Hoera Stephenson 4pens, 3cons) Havelock North 31 (Angus Keefe, Samuel Smith, Alex Philip, Sam Walton-Sexton, Tomasi Naicegulevu tries; Alex Philip 2, Sam Walton-Sexton conversions). HT: 32-0.
Pirate 47 (Matthew Murtha, Luke Russell, Nick Agnew, Al Momoisea, Asesela Derenalagi, Patrick Nichol, Noa Laisenia tries; Lincoln-Blake Bowman 6 conversions) Tamatea 0. HT: 35-0.
Taradale 37 (Hemaua Samasoni 2, Majella Tufuga, Brayden-Trevaughn Lansdown-Cunningham, Kienan Higgins, Iakopo Petelo Mapu tries; Ezra Malo penalty, 2 conversions) Central 24 (Frank Lochore, Tom Parsons, George Macpherson tries; Jordan Soli penalty, 3 conversions). HT: 25-17.
MAC 37 (Meni Manase 2, Hateni Tafolo, Tom Iosefo, Vailoa Kereti, Lexus Greening tries; Hateni Tafolo penalty, 2 conversions) Clive 7 (Jayden Falcon try; Tianua Poto conversion). HT: 27-0.
Hastings Rugby and Sports 28 (Jordan Thompson-Dunn, Patrick Tuifua, Benjamin Smith, Emil Crichton tries; Koby Deacon 4 conversions) Napier Old Boys Marist 26 (Kade Manual-Green, Josh McIntyre, Paoraian Manuel-Harman tries; penalty try; Jonty Stewart 3 conversions). HT: 21-7.
Napier Tech Old Boys — bye.
Points after 3 rounds: Napier OBM 12, Napier Tech OB (2 games), 10, Taradale (2) 10, Napier Pirate 10, Aotea 10, MAC (2) 9, Central 7, Havelock North 4, Clive 1, Tamatea 0.
Draw for Wednesday (6.30pm): Taradale v Clive, Tareha Reserve, Taradale; Hastings R&S v Tamatea, Elwood Park, Hastings; Napier OBM v Napier Tech OB, Bond Field, Park Island; Napier Pirate v MAC, Ian MacRae Field, HBRU; Central v Havelock North, Central Park, Waipukurau; Aotea a bye.
Division 2 Town (Jack Swain Cup): Pool 1 — Bridge Pa 18 Taradale 5; Napier OBM 31 Napier Tech OB 27; Pool 2 - Hastings R&S 27 Napier Pirate 26, MAC beat Maraenui by default; Crossover — Havelock North 39 Eskview 15.
Division 2 Country (Arthur Bowman Cup): Otane 15 Takapau 8, Porangahu 9 Waipawa Country United 8; Central a bye.
Division 3 (Maury Coady Cup): Napier Pirate 31 Tamatea 5, Havelock North 38 Flaxmere 24, Bridge Pa beat Napier OBM by default; Clive beat Maraenui by default.
