Stiff test awaiting Counties

Counties Manukau will get a true gauge of their progress when they square off against fellow unbeaten NPC second-division side Hawkes Bay in Napier this Saturday.

Both recorded convincing wins on Saturday, Counties Manukau cleaning out Thames Valley 66-15 in Te Aroha, and Hawkes Bay proving too good for Nelson Bays, winning 24-8, including four tries for the bonus point, in Nelson.

Counties Manukau, relegated from the first division last season, have now clocked up wins over Manawatu, Nelson Bays and Thames Valley, but Hawkes Bay promise to give them a more exacting workout, certainly than they got on Saturday.

Three tries within five minutes by winger Setiveni Sitivatu and three converted tries in the last eight minutes helped to bolster the final margin as they ran in 10 tries.

Sitivatu's three first-half touchdowns resulted from strong bursts up the middle by both loose forwards and backs and he had the pace and the footwork to finish off.

By halftime Counties Manukau led 31-10, and despite their losing flanker Kristian Ormsby to the sinbin early in the second spell, Thames Valley could not capitalise.

Thames Valley had their moments but could not finish off, apart for the two tries scored, which came from good team efforts.

At Ruatoria, the partying was all being done by Alex Wyllie's Marlborough, who made the trek north and thumped East Coast 73-8.

Centre Hayden Pedersen was the star, scoring four of Marlborough's 11 tries and having a hand in a number of others.

Wyllie was not getting carried away with the result, dryly conceding that he was pleased Marlborough had at last posted a win.

In Palmerston North, Manawatu scored three second-half tries to secure a comfortable 32-19 win over Mid-Canterbury.

In the third division, King Country issued a statement of intent by riding roughshod over West Coast in Greymouth, winning 53-0.

Despite a first-up loss to Horowhenua-Kapiti, King Country, coached by former Samoan international Peter Fatialofa, are where they want to be, on top of the standings. They have 16 points, one ahead of North Otago and two ahead of Horowhenua-Kapiti, the division's only unbeaten sides.

- NZPA