It's back to the drawing board for the Hawke's Bay Magpies after their 46-10 loss to North Harbour. Photo / Getty
It's back to the drawing board for the Hawke's Bay Magpies after their 46-10 loss to North Harbour. Photo / Getty
Hawke's Bay Magpies coach Mark Ozich said his side went from hero to zero in a week after slumping from the heights of a Ranfurly Shield win to a hiding at the hands of North Harbour.
The Magpies were thumped 46-10 on Saturday afternoon at QBE Stadium in Albany, andOzich said there were very few positives to take from the performance.
"I looked at that and I didn't recognise that team," he said
"Most of it is attitudinal, and bringing the right things to the game mentally. I don't think we're bad rugby players, I think we just didn't prepare and bring what we needed to from a mental point of view."
Ozich said his team were put to the sword by a good, highly motivated team in North Harbour.
Magpies fullback Kurt Baker tries to wriggle free from North Harbour wing Tomas Aoake. Photo /Getty
Hawke's Bay made significant changes to the side that won the Ranfurly Shield off Otago the week before, and delivered a significantly worse performance with Harbour dominant in every aspect of play.
Mark Ozich said it was still worth making those changes to give players the opportunity to press for selection, as they might have lost the game anyway.
He nominated reserve loose forward Solomone Funaki and winger Neria Fomai as two incoming players who stuck out for their positive work on the field.
Hawke's Bay made significant changes to the side that won the Ranfurly Shield off Otago the week before, and delivered a significantly worse performance with Harbour dominant in every aspect of play.
North Harbour opened the scoring in the 12th minute, with winger Jared Page cashing in after Hawke's Bay lost possession deep in their own half.
Magpies blindside flanker Marino Mikaele-Tu'u replied with his own try soon after, carrying hard off the back of a lineout drive that started six metres from the line.
North Harbour have used the attacking maul as a scoring weapon this season as well, and they showed why when captain and flanker Dillon Hunt restored his side's lead with a try off the back of one in the 25th minute.
North Harbour captain Dillon Hunt scores his side's second try of the game. Photo / Getty
The advantage was short lived though, as Hawke's Bay halfback Connor McLeod tied the game at 10-all with a well struck penalty.
Jared Page got his second try in the 33rd minute after a cross-kick to his right wing from first five Bryn Gatland.
And after a penalty miss from McLeod, Page grabbed his hattrick try just before halftime, cruising in having intercepted a poor pass from Hawke's Bay fullback Kurt Baker.
Things went from bad to worse in the second half for Hawke's Bay when prop Jason Long was yellow carded in the 48th minute for pushing Dillon Hunt in the face after a ruck cleanout.
The Magpies were able to hold the hosts to just a penalty in the 10 minutes they spent short-handed; an impressive 60 metre bomb from Bryn Gatland.
And as more substitutes came on for both sides, Hawke's Bay grew into the game and were more able to dictate terms.
Hawke's Bay lock Bryn Evans wins the lineout ahead of Harbour's Jacob Pierce. Photo / Getty
North Harbour scored against the run of play though, as Murphy Taramai dotted down in the 61st minute to make it 32-10.
And Bryn Gatland scored the try his overall play merited five minutes later, with Harbour regaining the ascendancy all across the park.
He set up another try to see the game out too, with a cross-field kick finding left winger Tomas Aoake for North Harbour's seventh try.
