Rugby: Prop's plea to help Bay keep hold of shield

Magpies prop Tolu Fahamokioa on the charge during the win against the Steamers. Photo / Paul Taylor

Magpies 23 Steamers 17 Ranfurly Shield defence

Shortly after Hawke's Bay Magpies prop Tolu Fahamokioa accepted his player-of-the-match award on Saturday he issued a challenge to his teammates.

"We're going to have to play better than that if we want to retain the Ranfurly Shield when we play Auckland on Thursday night ... Hard out."

Fahamokioa wasn't wrong. The Magpies 23-17 win against the Bay of Plenty Steamers in their sixth round ITM Cup clash at Napier's McLean Park and 10th successful defence in their latest tenure was another below-par effort.

Despite being 11-10 up at halftime their intensity levels were poor, they were outmuscled at the breakdown, conceded too many penalties, lacked the necessary continuity and fluency and the 28 missed tackles at the final whistle, 12 more than the Steamers, were too many.

Hurricane Fahamokioa was prominent as the Magpies scrum gained the upperhand in the second half and deserved his player-of-the-match award.

"We had to get back into the game and by grinding their pack down slowly we managed to do that," Fahamokioa said.

Hard out is a term former trainee nurse Fahamokioa uses a lot in general conversation and he was hard out during his 60 minutes of action with an average gain of 2.5m from four carries and nine tackles. It was his first starting XV appearance in the cup for the Magpies and it coincided with a reunion of several of his former Wellington College teammates including Steamers prop Solomon Sakalia in Napier.

"I couldn't have asked for more but those final five minutes were the hardest I've ever had to watch in a game.

"It's now up to the coaches whether I get another start. But I will try and step it up next time out too," Fahamokioa added.

Hurricanes lock Mark Abbott was close behind Fahamokioa in the battle for player-of-the-match honours. He made 12 tackles and 12 carries.

Magpies captain Brendon O'Connor said one of the hot topics during the halftime chat was the need to lift themselves defensively.

"I'm happy to win ugly. The Battle of the Bays is always huge and they brought it to us for the whole 80. We were let down by a lack of discipline in a few areas."

The Magpies were fortunate Steamers openside flanker Zak Hohneck was sinbinned for taking out Magpies halfback Chris Eaton at a ruck under the posts. While Hohneck was in the bin the Magpies scored 13 points.

Blindside flanker Tony Lamborn's 48th minute try was the last of these points and it gave the Magpies a 23-10 lead. Three minutes later Steamers first five-eighth Nick Evemy scored a solo try which he converted to keep the visitors in touch and contributed to the anxious final quarter for the holders.

There were times when the Magpies lacked the necessary patience. Along with the intensity and urgency levels which will have to increase against Auckland the blindside defence will also have to be tightened.

Lamborn missed three tackles but apart from those misses was again busy with 10 tackles and an average gain of 3.4m from eight carries.

For the Steamers it was another case of so close but yet so far in their quest to taste Ranfurly Shield glory for the second time since 2004. Former Magpie Tino Nemani was dangerous at centre for the visitors with an average gain of 8.4m from 13 carries and seven defenders beaten.

Promising fullback Chase Tiatia was again classy apart from one dropped ball and one missed tackle. He had an average gain of 11m from nine carries and he made nine tackles including a couple of trysavers.