Hawke's Bay Magpies lock in quarterfinal clash with Lions

The Magpies will play Wellington in a quarterfinal this weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor

By Thomas Airey

The Hawke's Bay Magpies have the perfect opportunity to avenge their Ranfurly Shield loss in an NPC quarterfinal in Wellington next week.

Hawke's Bay will play the current holders at Sky Stadium after finishing a topsy-turvy final weekend of the round robin in fourth place in the Odds pool.

Their 25-17 win over Tasman at McLean Park on Friday night proved enough to qualify for a fifth-straight finals campaign after Canterbury defeated Otago on Saturday.

Wellington's big win over Counties Manukau on Sunday confirmed their place at the top of the Odds pool.

The Magpies might have slipped into third on points differential had Bay of Plenty secured a big enough win over Waikato on Sunday.

But the two Chiefs provinces locked themselves into the second and third seeds and will face off again next weekend.

The other quarterfinals see Canterbury host Northland and North Harbour host Auckland.

Hawke's Bay conceded the Ranfurly Shield to Wellington with a 12-19 loss at McLean Park two weeks ago.

They lost their next game against Bay of Plenty, but stopped the rot against Tasman with a tremendous defensive performance.

Hawke's Bay celebrate after a try in wet conditions at McLean Park. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay had the first opportunity to attack when Tasman failed to secure the kickoff in the heavy rain.

They kicked for touch after a penalty and hooker Tyrone Thompson rode the rolling maul home for a third minute try.

The treacherous conditions played their part again when a Mako kick in behind just evaded their centre Levi Aumua, preventing a certain try.

Tasman fullback Taine Robinson opened his team's scoring with a ninth-minute penalty goal.

Penalties against Hawke's Bay had the Mako on top, but the Magpies defence at set pieces and in general play kept them in the game.

Robinson had the chance to put Tasman in front but missed his 25th-minute penalty kick.

Hawke's Bay looked good when they finally got ball-in-hand, and they got their second try in the 29th minute when Danny Toala found Neria Foma'i in space with a cross kick.

Tasman replied in similarly spectacular fashion, with good work from Aumua and Macca Springer ending in a Noah Hotham try a few minutes later.

That levelled the scores - Lincoln McClutchie had missed both sideline conversions in his 50th game for the Magpies.

Hawke's Bay leaped ahead right on half-time with a Marino Mikaele-Tu'u try one phase after an attacking scrum five metres out.

A brilliant line break from Devan Flanders set Foma'i up for the Magpies' crucial bonus point try seven minutes after half-time.

Outstanding centre Levi Aumua was denied another try, this time by the TMO for a knock-on in build-up.

Tasman first five eighths Willy Havili missed a regulation penalty goal attempt that would have cut Hawke's Bay's lead to nine with 23 minutes to play.

The Mako were laying siege to the Magpies' line but the defence held fast, eventually holding All Black Leicester Fainga'anuku up in goal.

Phase after phase was repelled before Kianu Kereru-Symes won a penalty for holding on, releasing the pressure with 14 minutes remaining.

He and the other forwards won a scrum penalty against Tasman's feed, allowing Lincoln McClutchie to extend the lead beyond two tries.

Mako winger Sevu Reece sparked a 100-metre break ending in a try to Viliami Na'apa with two minutes to play.

But it was too little, too late for Tasman, as Hawke's Bay avenged their 2021 semifinal loss to the Mako at the same venue.

Hawke's Bay 25 (Thompson, Foma'i 2, Mikaele-Tu'u tries; McClutchie 1/4 cons, 1/1 pen)
Tasman 17 (Hotham, Na'apa tries; Robinson 1/2 pen; 1/1 con, Havili 0/1 pen, 1/1 con)
HT: 17-10