Rugby: Signings add depth to young Magpies

KEY ACQUISITION: Ben May will provide much needed experience to the Magpies' Premiership campaign this season. PHOTO/Getty Images

JUST when we were beginning to think the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team will lack experience this season head coach Craig Philpott comes up with a couple of key signings.

Former All Blacks lock Ross Filipo and former Maori All Blacks prop Ben May, who will start for the Hurricanes against the Sharks in Wellington tonight, will play for the Magpies in this season's Mitre 10 Cup Premiership.

"With the season-ending injuries to key performers Brendon Edmonds and Michael Allardice, it was important for our Premiership title bid to replace them with similar experience and talent and Ross and Ben will add both to our playing squad," Philpott said.

"Ross has had an fine career at All Blacks, Super Rugby and provincial level in New Zealand over many years and has just won a European Championship with Racing Metro in France. Ben is a proven performer at Maori All Blacks, Super Rugby and provincial level over an extended period. Both are highly professional and will add value to our squad this year," Philpott said.

May, 33, has played for Nelson Bays, Tasman, Waikato and Wellington and was close to signing for the Magpies last year before opting to play for the Lions. He can play both sides of the scrum.

"We've got promising props like Mason Kean and Pouri Rakete-Stones but they aren't ready for the Premiership yet. In the future we will have good young talent like Tim Farrell and Kianu Kereru-Symes coming through so this is why we've got Ben for this season only ... we have to make sure we are competitive," Philpott said.

Filipo, 37, played five matches for the All Blacks from 2007-08. He was a replacement for Allardice at the Chiefs last year and was outstanding in his two starts before heading to Europe. Philpott said he doesn't expect to see much of All Black lock Brodie Retallick this season and Filipo will be the ideal back up to the Hurricanes pair of Geoff Cridge and Mark Abbott.

"Ross is very keen to follow a coaching path. He will bring a lot of tactical nous and will be able to assist us with match analysis," Philpott said.

The Magpies have five locks, four of whom are Super players and one of those is Retallick. The promising Sanaila Waqa, who made 11 appearances last year, is unavailable this season with a shoulder injury.

"We're very pleased to be able to secure Ross and Ben, they're quality men with a significant amount to offer on and off the field," Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union CEO Mike Bishop said.

Bishop signed Filipo to play for Marlborough when he was CEO of that union in 2001. Filipo has also played NPC rugby for Wellington and in addition to playing for the Chiefs at Super level has represented the Crusaders. May played Super Rugby for the Crusaders and Chiefs before linking up with the Canes and in 2013 played for the Fukuoka Sanix Blues in Japan.

"With having had five Magpies teammates in the Hurricanes forward pack this year, the transition into playing for Hawke's Bay should be a seamless one, and a challenge that I am looking forward to," May said.

"I'm excited about joining the Magpies and reuniting with my former Chiefs teammates, Michael Allardice and Brad Weber, for the Mitre 10 Cup. I believe Hawke's Bay will be a real force in the Premiership this season," Filipo said.

In addition to Edmonds and Allardice, Chiefs utility back Andrew Horrell, Highlanders utility back Richard Buckman and versatile Crusader Robbie Fruean are other experienced 2015 Magpies who aren't expected to play for the Bay this season.