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Written by The Hawkeye
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Sunday, 30 September 2007 |
 
The last game of the Air New Zealand Cup rounds before the Top 8 fight it out was away to Manawatu at FMG Stadium. Hawkeye managed to score a couple of free tickets in the main stand right on halfway.
A big thank you goes out too the Kean family!
A 5.30pm kick off and a couple of pre-game beers and we got to the ground early to find the support for the Magpies to be huge.
Heaps of face paint, costumes and rowdy noise and beers flowing, was a fantastic atmosphere. The Manawatu Union should be applauded for putting on an excellent event, plenty of fun things going on, fireworks, flames, tribal drums.
The boys run out to a huge cheer and conditions perfect for running rugby. From the kick off Manawatu put massive pressure on the visitors and it took awhile for the game to settle down. With the quarter finals already guaranteed the pressure was off the Magpie’s but the Turbo’s wanting to finish on a high note took the game to Hawkes Bay.
A few mistakes early on from both sides and each team feeling the other out, the game settled down and both teams started to move the ball about. Stand out players for the Magpies were Karl Lowe who was every where and deserved his two tries. The block busting Tongan loosehead Arizona showed some great pace with a awesome run up the middle of the paddock.
Michael Johnson again was inspirational, as was Lee before the worst news that he may have broken his ankle. Berquist was in form, and Shoemack should be one of the names on Colin Coopers Cane’s list as well as Hika Elliot.
Scorers from the Mighty Magpies were Karl Lowe with two, Bryn Evens with one and Berquist two penalties and Clarke two conversions, and Manawatu converting one penalty the final score 31-3.
Next week see’s Waikato come back to McLean Park for the Quarter Finals.
They will be wanting revenge for having their assed kicked last time. It’s going to be a huge game, Marty Holah won’t want to finish his time at Waikato with a loss, but with a full house the Magpies will be a up for the challenge.
So Sunday, 2.30pm, it’s going to be a cracker….Hawkeye can’t wait! |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 October 2007 )
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