"We can't pretend to be the underdogs any longer."
These were the words of Hawke's Bay Tuis assistant coach Shaun Bell after their 52-10 win against North Harbour Hibiscus in Saturday's Farah Palmer Cup Championship rugby match at Napier's McLean Park.
It was a televised match so there will be plenty of footage available to the coaching staffs of their remaining opponents in round-robin play - Tasman and Manawatu.
"That should be enough to give us a semifinal but we will aim for two more wins so we get a home semifinal," former Magpie Bell said.
As the score suggests the Tuis were dominant. Their scrum functioned well and won four tight heads. Their lineout work was outstanding and their defensive systems were cohesive.