Rugby: Magpies eye playoffs

Hawkes Bay 54
Counties-Man 8

Hawkes Bay overcame a sloppy start to ease their way towards the provincial rugby semifinals with a resounding win over strugglers Counties-Manukau in Napier last night.

The bonus-point result consolidated their second placing, leaving them to win one of their remaining two games, at home against Canterbury and away to lowly Northland, to confirm a playoffs berth.

But Hawkes Bay were far from convincing, taking well into the second half to get on top of bottom-placed Counties-Manukau who more than held their own for 50 minutes.

Hawkes Bay led just 13-8 at the interval but ended with seven tries, including a hat-trick to young wing Zac Guildford, who lifted his season's tally to 12.

All of his tries came in a 10-minute burst and the best was his last when he stepped three defenders from a standing start.

The hosts were too complacent in the first half after a disjointed effort against opponents who hustled, bustled and disrupted the heavy pre-match favourites.

Counties-Manukau provided the highlight of the first stanza when mobile prop Simon Lemalu scored a try after sloppy passing among the Hawkes Bay backs gifted a turnover.

Lemalu picked up the spoils himself and put through a grubber kick which sat up nicely for flanker DJ Forbes before Lemalu followed up to accept the final pass to cross the line.

That cancelled out an earlier try to Hawkes Bay prop Faka'anaua Taumalolo following a series of pick-and-goes by the home side's forwards.

- NZPA