Oh the pain ... the relegated Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team finished their season with a 26-24 loss to Bay of Plenty at Napier's McLean Park tonight.
With two wins and eight losses nobody will argue the hosts didn't deserve to be relegated this year.
The Magpies start mirrored so many of their previous ones this season. Too many missed tackles and dropped balls and four penalties were conceded during the first 10 minutes.
The hosts were lucky the Steamers turned down penalty kicks at goal as they hunted four tries in their quest for five competition points to secure a semifinal berth in the Championship.
Fortunately the Magpies defence kept the Steamers scoreless until the 23rd minute when halfback Te Aihe Toma made a solo 30 metre run to score. First five-eighth Dan Hollinshead added the conversion.
The Magpies looked good with the ball in hand during the second quarter and halfback Brad Weber scored a cracker of a solo try in the 30th minute which pivot Ihaia West converted from wide out to tie the score.