Consequently, the usually sharp Magpies engineering department of former Hastings Boys’ High School players No 8 Devan Flanders, halfback Folau Fakatava and first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie was more and more subdued as the game wore-on, and there was little ball for the wings.
The last time the unions had met it was 34-34 and it started to look as if it could be matched today as the Magpies came back from 12-0 down in the 11th minute to tie the game up at 15-15 at halftime, after a 38th-minute try to captain and lock Tom Parsons, only the second try in his NPC match-century.
The scores were equalised with the conversion to first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie, earlier the scorer of Hawke’s Bay’s first try and then a penalty, but the parity was soon history as Auckland lock Josh Beehre, scored a try converted by first five and former Napier Boys’ High School player Zarn Sullivan three minutes into the second half.
The Magpies were looking to well-position in the Auckland half soon afterwards when a pass in the midfield missed its mark and a break away by Auckland first-half try scorers Corey Evans (the centre) and Soane Vikena (hooker) forced the Magpies into a camp of more than 10 minutes in their own half.
Just as they ventured back, Auckland got the ball right to fullback Roger Tuivasa Sheck, who took off on one of his best of rugby union runs to score wide-out.
It pushed the margin to a decisive 12 points at 27-15 to Auckland, who were dominating possession and platforming well to stop the comeback that had become a feature of the Magpies four wins going into the Queen’s City clash.
Japanese hooker Hisamitsu Shimada, a Hawke’s Bay union global academy member, started a magic first few minutes in NPC rugby when he stopped Auckland flanker Adrian Choat grounding the ball over the line in the 67th minute, although Auckland scored immediately afterwards pushing the Magpies scrum back and getting the five points for No 8 Akira Ioane.
Shimada a few minutes later grabbed the call and ran 20 metres to score what would have been the last points of the game had it not been for the 82nd minute intercept by Auckland wing A J Lam, the sixth try for Auckland and with a conversion by substitute Jock McKenzie bringing-up the final score of 41-22.
Meanwhile, women’s team the Hawke’s Bay Tui faced a tough day at Pukekohe in their last match before the Farah Palmer Cup Premier semi-finals, being beaten 63-26 by Counties-Manukau Heat.
The Tui applied early pressure but with no reward after 12 minutes the tide quickly turned, as a Counties Manukau side featuring Black Ferns star Ruby Tui on one wing and the return of international Hazel Tubic at fullback quickly turned the tide with six tries in less than 30 minutes.
The Tui did show some fight, with tries to hooker Tamia Edwards and right wing Nicolette Adamson which with a conversion from Krysten Cottrell kept the score marginally respectable at 38-12 at halftime.
While there were further Hawke’s Bay tries to second five-eighths Jaimee Robin and halfback Kahlia Awa, each also converted by Cottrell, the Heat scored another five, all unconverted.
Centre Mererangi Paul scored three tries for Counties Manukau while Ruby Tui scored twice, in an all-to-late win for the Heat who were already out of contention for the playoffs.
The loss, with a single bonus point for scoring four tries, sealed the Tui’s place as No 4 going into the semi-finals, where they will play defending champion Canterbury in Christchurch next weekend.
Canterbury, who beat the Tui 84-14 earlier this month, sealed the No 1 spot coming back from 0-12 down to beat Auckland Storm 27-24 in the Eden Park curtainraiser.
Bunnings NPC at Eden Park: Auckland 41 (Soane Vikena, Corey Evans, Josh Brehre, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Akira Ioane, A.J.Lam tries; Zarn Zulliva penalty, 3 conversions; Jock McKenzie conversion) Hawke’s Bay 22 Lincoln McCluchie, Tom Parsons, Hisamitsu Shimada tries; McClutchie penalty, conversion; Harry Godfrey conversion). Halftime: 15-15
Counties-Manukau Heat 63 (Mererangi Paul 3, Ruby Tui 2, Joanna Fanene Lolo, Grace Gago, Jaymie Kolose, Utumalama Atonio, Ngatokotoru Arakua, Ti Tauasosi tries; Hazel Tubiuc 5 conversions) Hawke’s Bay Tui (Tamia Edwards, Nicolette Adamson, Jaimee Robin, Kahlia Awa tries; Krysten Cottrell 3 conversions). Halftime: Counties Manukau 38 Hawke’s Bay 12.
