Rugby: Magpies back up manager's promise with win over Otago in Dunedin

Magpies halfback Brad Weber feeds his backline during tonight's win against Otago in Dunedin. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team manager Terry Gittings promised it and the lads have backed him up in emphatic fashion.

At the Magpies' sponsors function last week Gittings told the crowd the team would return from their southern tour with two wins, at the top of the table and ready to hit a revamped McLean Park running. With tonight's 31-25 second round Mitre 10 Cup Championship win against Otago at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium the Magpies completed the double and have scored 62 points while conceding 35.

However, Magpies head coach Mark Ozich said there is little chance of his players getting carried away with their success.

"Yes I'm happy for the team. That was an unreal collective effort against the odds but there is still heaps to work on."

Ozich agreed there were still too many errors from the Magpies. There is plenty of room for improvement on their shape and attack as well as kick receptions.

Before the match Ozich said his lads were eager to put in a winning performance in memory of former Magpie and Maori All Black Heitia Hiha who died earlier in the week. Hiha would have been impressed with the gutsy effort and in particular the player of the match display from fellow Napier Boys' High School product and former Otago No 8 Gareth Evans.

"To get two from two down here [the Magpies beat Southland 31-10 last Sunday] ... I'm so proud of the boys," Evans said afterwards.

Captain and hooker Ash Dixon was equally delighted.

"We did enough to win. It wasn't pretty but it was a gutsy effort from the boys.

"We improved our play at the breakdown and our set-piece was good. While we can get better each week it was another step in the right direction as a team," Dixon added.

Dixon was one of three players on Ozich's injury list afterwards and said he may need a couple of injections on his ribs before taking the field against Counties-Manukau at McLean Park on September 2. First five-eighth Tiaan Falcon required stiches to a cheek injury. Ozich said he should be fine to take on the Steelers but his Chiefs teammate, lock Michael Allardice, could be unavailable for a while after failing an HIA test.

Baby Blacks loosie Will Tremain, a grandson of Magpies and All Black legend, the late Kel Tremain, made his debut for the Magpies as a replacement against one of three unions his uncle, Simon Tremain, represented.

"I know we named Sam Ulufonua on the bench originally but we were always going to use Will to give us more speed in the indoor stadium and use another of our loosies, Devan Flanders, to cover lock," Ozich said.

Both teams turned down two kickable penalties each before the Magpies opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a try to openside flanker Josh Kaifa after a lineout. Falcon, who would finish the game with three successes from five attempts at goal, maintained his 100 per cent goalkicking record for the season with the conversion from wide out.

Otago replied five minutes later with a try to first five-eighth Josh Ioane who added the extras. The hosts took the lead in the 21st minute when blindside flanker Naulia Dawai scored after Falcon conceded a soft turnover. Ioane again converted and Otago led 14-7.

The Magpies equalised when fullback JJ Taulagi scored in the 27th minute after clever build-up work from Evans and winger Jonah Lowe. Falcon was again on target with the conversion.

Otago regained the lead in the entertaining topsy-turvy encounter when Ioane kicked a penalty from 37 metres out in the 34th minute after Kaifa was ruled offside by Japanese referee Shuhei Kubo.

The Magpies had every right to feel hard done by when Kubo failed to seek TMO assistance when lock Tom Parsons thought he had scored on the halftime siren. Kubo ruled Parsons had been held up and Otago had a 17-14 lead at the interval.

Two penalties in the red zone during the early minutes of the second half against Otago had the Magpies on attack. Plenty of relentless pressure resulted in prop Ben May crashing over in the 48th minute to give the visitors the lead. Falcon missed the conversion attempt.

Dixon did well to hold up his Otago counterpart, Hastings Boys' High School product Sam Anderson-Heather, over the line in the 52nd minute. However the hosts took the lead courtesy of a 56th minute penalty from Ioane after the Magpies were ruled to be offside.

Magpies winger Mason Emerson put the visitors ahead 24-20 with a spectacular 63rd-minute try in which he beat three defenders. Three minutes later halfback Brad Weber scored and Falcon converted to have the Magpies ahead 31-20.

Otago remained in the hunt when exciting fullback and All Black Sevens rep Vilimoni Koroi scored in the 72nd minute.

Match highlights
■Heart stopper: Magpies winger Mason Emerson losing the ball in a tryscoring situation in the 11th minute. Fortunately this didn't impact on the final outcome.
■Turning point: When Magpies halfback Brad Weber scored in the 66th minute. First five-eighth Tiaan Falcon added the conversion to give the visitors a 31-20 lead and it was always going to be tough for the hosts from there.
■Player of the match: Magpies No 8 Gareth Evans. A huge workrate, superb link play and outstanding support play for 80 minutes against his former team.
■Scorers:
Hawke's Bay Magpies 31 (Josh Kaifa, JJ Taulagi, Ben May, Mason Emerson, Brad Weber tries; Tiaan Falcon 3 cons ) Otago 25 (Josh Ioane, Naulia Dawai, Vilimoni Koroi tries; Ioane 2 cons, 2 pens). HT: Otago 17-14.