The black-and-whites led the Miah Nikora-coached scarlett-and-whites 54-10 at the break.
Josh Syms, first-year head coach of Hawke's Bay, said: “Poverty Bay, on the back of three or four trainings, were well organised, had 48 percent of possession and held the ball for long passages of play. You don't want to peak for a pre-season Ranfurly Shield Challenge: you want to peak for the Meads and Lochore Championships
“They showcased individual skills and have set themselves up for a good season. There were players here on Saturday who really impressed: (halfback) Ruan du Plooy's a very good technician and directed them around the park, Teddy Walters (second five-eighth, player of origin) has always punched above his weight and Hunter Mokomoko (left wing, player of origin) is a big, strong boy: he adds finish.
“We knocked South Canterbury's scrum all over the place on June 29: these guys were smaller but scrummed bigger, loaded well and stayed tough.
“The Hawke's Bay lads worked hard leading into the season and pushed the pass too much in this game, but the Napier and Hastings boys we have in the side, they've got flair and that's a strength.”
Hawke's Bay chose as their MVP (most valuable player) debutant Tupou Ma'afau-Afungia, who also won their players' player award.
Nikora was proud of every Weka's effort: an MVP was not discussed. Such awards will be made during the Heartland campaign.
“Our boys showed some real character throughout, after Hawke's Bay got off to what was for them an ideal start, but we came back and had plenty of good moments,” he said.
“They punished us massively from turnovers and the loose ball that bounced their way. The game has given us plenty of learnings and lots of positives moving forward.
“The boys were buzzing from the experience after the game.”
The Magpies, under captain and lock Tom Parsons, scored 15 tries — a hat-trick for Ma'afau-Afungia and a double for left wing Anzelo Tuitavuki — with fullback Harry Godfrey kicking 10 conversions.
Poverty Bay scored four tries — a double to first-five Mitchell Purvis, and one each to Mokomoko and Walters — and one conversion to reserve second-five Ricardo Patricio.
Poverty Bay captain and lock Dan Law, won the toss and chose direction with a nor'westerly breeze at the challengers' backs but looking into the sun.
He said: “Hawke's Bay showed the fast pace of rugby that's played in the next level. We went out with small goals of winning our key roles, and looking at our performance and what we could get out of the game. We ticked a lot of boxes that we wanted to tick.
“From a forward's point of view, we held our own.”
In front of the 3647 on hand, Poverty Bay started the hard way, conceding two converted tries in the first four minutes. A third try 10 minutes in went to the Hurricanes' Gisborne Boys' High School old boy lock Isaiah Walker-Leawere and with a conversion the score was 21-0, before Mokomoko seized on an errant pass from Walker-Leawere and flew 59m to score in the left corner, with the score at 21-5.
In the 25th minute, first-five Mitchell Purvis of Lee Bros Shield-winning club YMP, bulldozed All Black halfback Brad Weber for the visitors' second try eight metres off the left touch to close it to 35-10.
Before and after the visitors' second score, tighthead prop James Higgins was outstanding. He carried the ball to the same effect at the weekend as he has done throughout his rugby career: it's always been one thing to latch on to Higgins but quite another to bring him down.
Halftime having been and gone, with the score still 54-10, Poverty Bay were awarded a penalty, 21m from the holders' goal-line, 15m off the left touch, by referee Cameron Stone (Taranaki), a reserve assistant referee for the World Cup in Japan).
Du Plooy chose to tap-kick, charged, and after seven muscular attempts to score by the scarlet forwards, Walters got the ball down 14m in from the left corner.
To be the first team to score in the second half gave Poverty Bay a hard-earned boost: Law, his original locking partner Fletcher Scammell and reserve second-rower Adriaan Brits can also be pleased with their match-effort.
Law and Scammell won good line-out ball from go to whoa but Brits, at 2.08m the tallest man in the history of New Zealand first-class rugby, showed fantastic enthusiasm and mobility, making a number of great tackles. Were it not for a broken collarbone, giant scrum-anchor Jarryd Broughton and Brits would give Nikora's squad the biggest and tallest man in the history of NZ rugby. Nothing could or did stop Purvis from completing his double on full-time, or Poverty Bay from having the last word. In the 81st minute — with many minds on a possible century to be brought up at the other end of McLean Park — the pass left of two-try scorer Caleb Makene, the Hawke's Bay first-five, did not go to hand. Purvis swooped and scored behind the posts.
Reserve fullback Ricardo Patricio kicked the Bay's only goal of the day, a conversion to make the final score Hawke's Bay 95 Poverty Bay 22.
Magpies captain Parsons said: “Poverty Bay carried the ball well and I think they've got a good base to start with, going into their season.”
The Magpies' next game and defence of the Ranfurly Shield at home will be against Counties-Manukau on August 12. Poverty Bay have the raw material and skip in their step to be very competitive in this year's Heartland Championship.
• Poverty Bay open their Heartland season away to King Country on August 20 in Te Kuiti.
