Ranfurly Shield: 50 point win as Magpies outclass Rams in Hawke’s Bay puddles

It was almost a throwback to the past as the Hawke’s Bay Magpies opened a new Ranfurly Shield era with a 57-7 win over the King Country Rams in Hastings rain on Wednesday.

In a splash of water prop Tim Farrell scores Hawke's Bay's fourth try, which, with a conversion to Jonty Stewart, made it 26-0 to Hawke's Bay at halftime in the Ranfurly Shield defence in Hastings. The Bay beat King Country 57-7. Photo / Paul Taylor.

The infield at the Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park’s William Nelson Athletics Arena was in firm but sodden condition despite the heavy rain, which continued as the Magpies scored nine tries. The match was played almost nine months to the day after the Bay regained shield supremacy by beating the Wellington Lions in Wellington.

The Magpies scored two converted tries in the first 10 minutes, the second to goal-kicking first five-eighths Jonty Stewart, a great-grandson of All Blacks legend Cyril Brownlie, who played for Hawke’s Bay in the union’s first-ever shield defence in 1922.

It was 26-0 at halftime.

Hawke’s Bay had six tries by the time King Country No 8 Kaleb Foote scored 12 minutes into the second half., a conversion to utility back Patrick Hedley making it 32-7.

King Country stopped the score blowing out, the Bay falling short of the 61-80 points margin the TAB quoted as the favourite outcome, at $2.25.

Hawke’s Bay 57 (Josh Kaifa, Jonty Stewart, Anzelo Tuitavaki, Tim Farrell, Semi Vodosese, Josh Gimblett, Sam Wye, Hunter Morrison, Kere Penitito tries; Stewart 3, Meni Manase 3 conversions) King Country 7 (Kaleb Foote try, Patrick Hedley conversion). Halftime: 26-0.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.