The Northland Kauri had a game to remember and home team Hawke's Bay Tui a last quarter to forget as the visiting side won their opening match in the 2021 Farah Palmer Cup national women's rugby championship match in Napier on Saturday.
Playing a curtainraiser to the Ranfurly Shield match between Bunnings NPC side Hawke's Bay Magpies and Heartland amateur competition side union Ngāti Porou East Coast at McLean Park, Northland were up 31-22 with 19 minutes to go before the fightback started, ultimately seeing four tries scored in the remaining time to win 46-31.
The Tui, described by captain and first five-eighths Krysten Cottrell as mainly young and a growing group she believes will "get there," led 12-0 in the first quarter and 24-15 at halftime.
Led well by captain, Blues and Black Ferns squad member Krystal Murray, who scored two tries, Northland gained the ascendancy putting pressure on the Tui defence, which saw two of their loose forwards yellow-carded – cutting the home team to 13 players for seven of those last 20 minutes.
With the score 31-22 after Bay left wing Harmony Kautai scored her second try, Murray scored as home team No 8 Tamia Edwards headed from the field in the 62nd minute, and experienced former Counties representative Hinewai Pomare put the visiting team into the lead with a try from the penalty immediately after the referee's despatch of Tui flanker Nina Pineaha in the 67th.