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For one last time lets turn the clock back 12 months to when Hawkes Bay last played Northland. We had a manic last 8 minutes, players getting binned, a tight, close hard fought game taking place with a tense finish.
Now go forward 12 months to last nights game at McLean Park and what did we have. A tight finish, players being binned, and yes Hawkes Bay were infringing and deserved a player binned, and a Northland side that simply would not go away. I dont know what it is when these two sides do battle, but it makes good viewing,and gives the crowd true value for money.
Last nights game saw two evenly matched teams, go hammer and tongs at each other and whilst Hawkes Bay were fully deserving of their 5 points, Northland were also more than worthy of the 2 points they picked up.
Hawkes Bay went into this game needing to have a good solid victory, and restore the faith the locals had shown in them, and this was achieved, but not without a right royal battle.
The Hawkes Bay forwards were outstanding, and none more so than debutant Tim Fairbrother, who showed he is a scrummager of the highest order, and very mobile around the field. Not far behind him would be Matt Egan who again showed his ability to contest everything at lineout time, and provide good support in the open taking inside passes and getting his team over the advantage line. Karl Lowe was also very industrious, and Hika Elliot showed why he is favoured to secure a super 14 contract when the New Zealand based franchise teams are named. Grant Webb also showing why is rated so highly as a number 8.
In the backline Danny Lee played very smartly, with some very well placed kicks (including the one leading to Ben Batgers try) and directed his forwards around the ruck and maul area very well. He was also lucky not to be binned late in the game, for what appeared to be a blatant attempt to stop Northlands momentum. Jason Shoemark however was the outstanding back on display. His defence was superb, and when he ran, he had the Northland backline in disarray.
For Northland David Howell oozed class again, and Tony Koonwaiyou was a dangerous player with ball in hand, and make one very good break leaving two Hawkes Bay defenders grasping at air. Up front Tim Dow played well, Justin Collins showed all his experience, and Joel McKeenty contested very well at ruck and maul time.
Hawkes Bay supporters can be well pleased, and lets hope for a good crowd, good weather, and a great game against Waikato next week.
Oh and Hawkes Bay please try and sign Tim Fairbrother as well, he'd be more use here than sitting on a bench for Wellington.
In 2006 Hawke's Bay led Northland at the 80-minute mark but several penalties, a yellow card and eight minutes later, Hayden Taylor scored a try that locked the scores at 24-24.
A year later Hawke's Bay again led at the 80-minute mark but Matt Berquist slipped as he took a penalty shot that would have ended the match and failed to kick it dead; several penalties, a yellow card and five minutes later, Hawke's Bay kicked to touch to end another thriller that saw the Magpies hold an upper-mid table position and keep their playoff run alive.
The match had everything: good play from both sides, good ball security among the forwards, staunch defence and aggressive attack, three yellow cards and enough action to keep the crowd on their feet and the Zambucks checking their stocks of heart pills.
Given that these teams play a similar style and both have been travelling well enough in 2007 this was always going to be a close match but few would have predicted that neither side was able to post back-to-back scores after the 26th minute, when Karl Lowe's try took Hawke's Bay out to a 17-7 lead.
The tit-for-tat action meant the coaches were never comfortable and the players had to take extreme care in defensive situations, as both sides managed to contest vigorously but still keep the shape that they prefer.
The patterned rugby saw both teams mount long series of play, with Hawke's Bay apparently locking the match up with a 14-phase, two-minute drive that led to the late Berquist penalty before the dramatic finish.
Northland showed a late change to the posted team when lively winger Fetu'u Vainikolo was stood down for a breach of team regulations but that didn't slow Northland's opening bid and the first try, by Tim Dow, was posted after only eight minutes.
Hawke's Bay then ran off 17 unanswered points through a penalty goal and two well taken tries, the first by Ben Batger after Danny Lee found acres of space with a clever kick over the forwards and the second when Lowe crashed over following a well-worked scrum move.
Good tries by Corey Tamou and Rene Ranger bracketed another Berquist penalty, which saw the home side take a one-point lead to the sheds, but that advantage was soon extended when former Northlander Jason Shoemark found a hole in the defensive line and scored within two minutes of the resumption.
David Holwell narrowed the gap before the first of the night's yellow cards was shown to Tony Coughlan, for a cynical foul inside the 22, and from the resulting lineout Zac Guildford scored Hawke's Bay's bonus point try.
Vainikolo, introduced as a second-half substitute, made a fine 70m run that ended in a combined tackle by Batger and the touchline but soon afterwards the restored Coughlan was driven over from a maul near the line to narrow the gap again and secure a bonus point. Holwell converted but bounced a 40m angled penalty that would have tied the scores off the left-hand post and Hawke's Bay scrambled clear.
Dow, who had his problems at lineout time, was sin-binned for an early tackle on his opposite, Hika Elliot, when the defence was scattered and the Bay man had 35 clear metres between him and the line.
Whether he would have made it was a moot point; by taking him out Dow removed all doubt. Berquist goaled to give his side breathing space that they were thankful for in the frantic closing moments, especially when Bay prop Tom Symes was carded for killing the ball at a breakdown.
While silly errors cost points all night there was plenty for the coaches to be pleased about, especially on defence. Neither team missed many tackles and clean breaks were hard to come by, although those that were made normally produced points.
Standouts for Hawke's Bay were Lee, the front row in the scrums, the lineout combinations and Shoemark, who was perhaps the most dangerous attacker on the pitch. Northland got fine service from Justin Collins, the tireless Jake Paringatai, Holwell and the wingers Ranger and Vainikolo.
The final result, with Hawke's Bay taking five points to Northland's two, probably cements the Magpies' place in the last eight and almost certainly condemns Northland to a watching brief in mid-October. Full Time Hawke's Bay
Tries Batger, Lowe, Shoemark, Guildford
Penalties Berquist 3
Conversions Berquist 3
Northland
Tries Dow, Tamou, Ranger, Coughlan
Penalties Holwell
Conversions Holwell 3
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