Counties Manukau 21
Hawke's Bay 27
The Ranfurly Shield returns to Napier for the second time in as many seasons.
Counties Manukau enjoyed their six-game, 12-month tenure, but had to cede to a superior, hungry Hawke's Bay outfit before a crowd of around 6500 in Pukekohe, though not without a rousing late comeback.
This was the fourth occasion this season that a Championship side had beaten a Premiership opponent, but the Magpies would not have cared a jot for that stat.
The high balls rained down and there were no less than three tries from lineout drives, while the Steelers tried unsuccessfully to fashion a winning one from their final lineout.