NPC: Magpies ready to take on mighty Cantabs

Hadlee Hay-Horton (right) in his last starting line-up match for the Magpies, a win over Canterbury 12 months ago in Christchurch. He gets a chance to make it a double in the No. 1 jersey against Canterbury on Friday night at McLean Park. Photo / Photosport

Prop Hadlee Hay-Horton gets his first starting line-up run for the Magpies this season with a proud record to defend against the propping dynasty of Canterbury at McLean Park tomorrow.

Just turned 29 and a relative late-bloomer in the NPC sense, he has become a regular impact player off the bench for the Magpies, and last started in a single-digit jersey when the Magpies beat Canterbury 27-21, with nine changes from match-to-match, in Christchurch on August 28 last year.

With 20 games for Heartland union Whanganui in four seasons before returning to Hawke’s Bay at the start of last season, and playing club rugby for champions Taradale, that win was one of eight he’s enjoyed in 10 appearances for the Magpies, including all three off the bench in the 2025 Bunnings NPC premiership to date.

Replacing rested Josh Smith at loosehead, he becomes just the 19th starting line-up player named this year by Magpies head coach Brock James, who for the top-of-the-table clash returns lock Geoff Cridge, flanker Miracle Fai’ilagi and halfback Ereatara Enari to the 15 for a match Hawke’s Bay Rugby hopes will attract more than 7000 fans.

Added to the bench are squad newcomer and Tech Old Boys loose forward Nik Patumaka, and Le Roux Malan, a member of the 2024 squad.

The team for the match starting at 7.10pm is: Hadlee Hay-Horton, Jacob Devery (co-captain), Pouri Rakete-Stones, Geoff Cridge, Tom Parsons (co-captain), Miracle Fai’ilagi, Cooper Flanders, Devan Flanders (vice-captain), Ereatara Enari, Harry Godfrey, Lukas Ripley, Kienan Higgins, Nick Grigg, Jonah Lowe, Zarn Sullivan. Subs: Kianu Kereru-Symes, Nik Patumaka, Lolani Faleiva, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Frank Lochore, Folau Fakatava, Le Roux Malan, Andrew Tautevalu.

The Hawke’s Bay Tui women’s team play their weekend’s NPC Farah Palmer Cup match against Manawatu Cyclones in Palmerston North on Sunday.

Doug Laing has been a reporter for 52 years, more than 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, at the Central Hawke’s Bay Press, the Napier Daily Telegraph and Hawke’s Bay Today, since its establishment in 1999. He has covered most aspects of general news and sport.