Hawke’s Bay Magpies dominate Auckland 45-28 in Napier

The formidable former Hastings Boys' High combination of Folau Fakatava and Lincoln McClutchie was again evident in last night's victory over Auckland. Photo / NZME

The Hawke’s Bay Magpies will be watching the results of the remaining weekend NPC matches as they cling to the hope of a home quarter-final after Thursday night’s near-record 45-28 thrashing of Auckland at McLean Park, Napier.

The win, two points short of Hawke’s Bay’s record score against Auckland – a 47-13 win in 2009 – placed Hawke’s Bay third on the ladder, safely in the top eight for the quarter-finals.

But form across the 14-team, 10-round competition going into the weekend meant they would most likely slip to fifth by Sunday, with fourth-placed Taranaki favoured to beat Wellington on Saturday and fifth-placed Bay of Plenty favoured to beat Waikato on Sunday.

The Magpies are favourites to beat Manawatu in the last regular season match, in Palmerston North, next Saturday, with the hope of securing a place in the top four for a home match in the quarter-finals on October 10-12.

Amid a crisis over the loss of fit props throughout the season, and two new props in the 23, the Magpies still managed to field a strong side, and entertained the crowd.

They were up 26-7 at halftime on Thursday and scored seven tries, with two each to No 8 Devan Flanders and second five-eighths Le Roux Malan, and one each to first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie, flanker Miracle Fai’ilagi, and replacement outside back Lukas Ripley.

McClutchie added five conversions for a personal tally of 15 points, after again taking a place in the starting line-up in place of first-choice Harry Godfrey.

On a fine and breezy night, Hawke’s Bay kicked off and were mainly in Auckland territory at the embankment end for the first five minutes before McClutchie cut through from short range to score the first try and then kick the conversion.

The Magpies were all over Auckland for most of the next 15 minutes, but were unable to score before an Auckland breakaway which resulted in a try to left wing Xavier Tito-Harris, converted with a superbly judged kick across the wind from wide out by first five Rico Simpson.

There was immediate relief for the Magpies with Flanders scoring close to the posts at the other end, then McClutchie added two more points to make it 14-7 entering the second quarter.

It stretched to 21-7 when the Magpies capitalised on Auckland’s mistakes and brittle defence to spread them wide, before Fai’ilagi got the break and scored, and Flanders was sent over for his second try, boosting the Magpies’ confidence even more.

The Magpies defended deep in their own territory early in the second half, but as soon as the chance arose they were putting Malan over in the seventh minute. McClutchie converted again, making it 33-7, enough to end Auckland’s hopes of a quarter-final in a season which has seen just two wins in nine games.

Even when they did reply, it was as if by some free-trade agreement – a try to Auckland for No 12 Xavi Taele, another to the Bay for Malan, a response from Auckland’s Tanielu Tele’a, substitute Lukas Ripley’s try for Bay, and the consolation try near the end for replacement Auckland front row forward Soane Vikena.

In the 50th year of the NPC, the match and the venue had some historical significance, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland having played the first NPC Division 1 match at McLean Park in 1976.

Hawke’s Bay have now beaten Auckland four times (including last year) in their 10 matches since the NPC’s professional era started with the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.

Hawke’s Bay Magpies 45 (Devan Flanders 2, Le Roux Malan 2, Lincoln McClutchie, Miracle Fai’ilagi, Luka Ripley tries; McClutchie 5 conversions) Auckland 28 (Xavier Tito-Harris, Xavi Taele, TanieluTele’a, Soane Vikena tries; Rico Simpson 4 conversions). Halftime: 26-7.

Doug Laing has been a reporter for more than 50 years, covering most aspects of news and sports.