Wairarapa-Bush happy despite loss

Wairarapa Bush rugby coach Lofty Stevenson was smiling yesterday.
And that's a big ask considering his side had just been thrashed 79-0 by Hawke's Bay in the annual Hawkeye Cup fixture at Napier's McLean Park.
"I'm quite happy. There's definitely improvement since our previous week's loss to Wellington," he said.
"It was always going to be hard coming up against a professional outfit like the Magpies.
"We had four trainings in the buildup to this game and our team included just one player from last year's side in replacement prop Brendan Walker," Stevenson said.
His troops deserve praise for their never-say-die approach and were unlucky not to score a try after a period of sustained pressure on the Magpies line during the final three minutes.
Lock Dan Griffin and flanker Sullivan Alsop impressed with their workrates in the Wairarapa Bush pack while captain and winger Joji Tamani made the most of his limited opportunities out wide.
Stevenson is confident his side will display more improvement against another Air New Zealand Cup side, Manawatu, on June 19.
Former All Blacks halfback and Magpies captain Danny Lee provided quality service for the host team's backline.
Winger Jason Kupa grabbed a hat-trick on debut.
Last year's Tasman Makos MVP George Naoupu was a powerful figure at No.8 for the Magpies.
A former Highlanders and Otago loosie, Grant webb, took the field as a replacement for Hawke's Bay.
That's right a replacement! That's the calibre of players in the Magpies side. Former Wairarapa Bush coach Peter Russell is coaching the Magpies who last week opened their season with a 97-0 drubbing of Poverty Bay.
Scorers: Hawke's Bay XV 79 (Jason Kupa 3, Faryn Ngawaka 2, Heydin Lafaele 2, Phil Huxford, Aayden Clarke, Danny Lee, Luke Ottley, Josh Maynard, Zac Guildford tries; Matt Berquist 4, Clarke 3 cons), Wairarapa Bush 0. HT: 34-0.