Hawke's Bay still unbeaten, other division two and three results

Defending champions Hawke's Bay are the only unbeaten side in the NPC second division rugby competition after thrashing Nelson Bays 40-14 at McLean Park here today.

The Magpies were too good for the only other previously unbeaten side running in five tries, two to New Zealand sevens star Tafai Ioasa, and letting through just one.

Nelson Bays competed well in the first half which ended with the score 14-14 but hardly fired a shot in the second as the home side's forwards continued the dominance they have had over all NPC opponents this season. The Hawke's Bay backs produced their best effort of the season.

The lead changed five times during the closely fought first spell.

Nelson Bays first five-eighth Ross Soper opened the scoring with a penalty in the eighth minute before Magpies fullback Tim Manawatu replied in kind and added another one to give them the lead for the first time after 17 minutes.

A lack of communication between Manawatu and winger Sefulu Gau Gau allowed Nelson Bays to score their only try of the match two minutes later.

Manawatu misfielded a high ball which Nelson Bays centre Aaron Kimura was quick to grab and scamper off to dot down.

That try was from broken play and not once during the game did the visitors appear capable of constructing themselves a try -- a tribute to the Hawke's Bay defence.

Ioasa made a 70m run to score the first of his tries in the 25th minute which was well set up by in-form second five-eighth Davis Norman.

Soper kicked penalties in the 32nd and 35th minutes to give Nelson Bays a 14-11 lead.

Nelson Bays flanker Craig Simeon was given a yellow card just before halftime for offside and obstructing at a ruck and Manawatu kicked the penalty to tie the score at halftime.

The Magpies scored two tries while Simeon was in the sinbin early in the second half. Winger Ray Karauria and centre Nui Bartlett scored before captain and halfback Donovan Hall gave his side the bonus point for four tries in the 51st minute.

Manawatu kicked the conversion to give himself a 13-point haul and Ioasa scored the final try in the 78th minute which was converted by replacement fullback Colin Bourke.

Hall and Norman had high workrates in the winning backline while Ioasa and lock Ron Evans were both prominent in a Magpies pack which had no passengers.

All of the Nelson Bays forwards competed well in the first half before being outmuscled in the second.

The Nelson Bays backs were given little freedom from their Hawke's Bay counterparts who defended well.

Scorers: Hawke's Bay 40 (Tafai Ioasa 2, Donovan Hall, Nui Bartlett, Ray Karauria tries; Tim Manawatu 3 pen, 2 con, Colin Bourke con) Nelson Bays 14 (Aaron Kimura try; Ross Soper 3 pen). Halftime: 14-14.

Newtalk ZB reports that in division two of the NPC, Hawke's Bay have gone to the top of the table after defeating Nelson Bays 40-14 in Napier this afternoon.

In other clashes, North Otago pipped Marlborough 36-29, Manawatu scraped past East Coast 17-8, and Counties-Manukau hammered Thames Valley 57-18.

Wanganui are now top of the division three table on 15 points after beating South Canterbury 22-20, while Wairarapa Bush went down to Horowhenua-Kapiti 34-12.

In Taupo, King Country beat Poverty Bay 43-26, and in the local derby in Greymouth, Buller overcame West Coast 25-13.

- NZPA

NPC points table