Magpies 35 Lions 24
Horrell hobbled off, West looked like a one-eyed gunslinger and Lowe was a law unto himself at McLean Park, Napier, tonight.
That was just the coming-attraction snippets of the OK Corral showdown in the ITM Cup rugby match between the Hawke's Bay Magpies and the Wellington Lions.
If
the crucial clash is anything to go by, Hawke's Bay should be ushered into next season's Premiership, full stop.
No ifs and buts after the Mike Coman-skippered Championship team thumped Premiership leaders Wellington 35-24 at McLean Park, Napier, offering Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett and selectors something to chew on.
All the talk was about the Lions emulating the 1986 feat of an undefeated Earle Kirton-coached unit but someone forgot to tell that to the hosts who set a scorching pace with a 23-14 lead into the changing sheds.
Yes, there were touches of controversy in all bar one try from the
Craig Philpott and Danny Lee-coached Magpies' offerings but then when has that ever ruined the plot of a humdinger of a match?
The bottom line is, barring Otago Razorbacks registering an upset win Auckland in Dunedin this Sunday of monumental proportions, the Magpies have effectively secured a
home semifinal at McLean Park.
It will be like salt to the wound for the Wellingtonians who tasted their first defeat
this season and it came at the hands of the lower-tier Magpies.
No doubt, they will have lots to grizzle about.
The first try in the 12th minute, captain Victor Vito could argue, shouldn't have been
because left wing Alapati Leiua had caught the up and under from Magpies fullback Zac Guildford infield although his foot was over the line before the ball arrived _
something the touchie obviously overlooked but TV replays confirmed.
In the Magpies second try in the 18th minute, winger Telusa Veainu
comfortably planted the ball near the post amid howls of protest from the Lions that there was a forward pass from second five-eighth Andrew
Horrell to centre Richard Buckman.
Regrettably, referee Glen Jackson only asked TMO Bruce Dockary to check if there was any transgression in the final pass before the ensuing try. The forward pass,
though, appeared to have been executed one pass earlier.
The third Magpies try came in the 59th minute courtesy of substitute second five-eighth Adam Bradey when he lunged over to plant a try on his fingertips after a
scintillating burst from West to take the score to 28-24.
TV replays hinted he had lost control in the process but Dockary
thought otherwise, much to the delight of the 8000 Magpies faithful who will
argue that's what home advantage is all about.
No love was lost between the franchise brothers, as bone-jarring tackles were made and to their credit, the visitors, delivered a free-flowing affair as promised.
Nothing whets the fans appetite more than David slaying Goliath so, consequently, rugby has to be the winner tonight.
No doubt, the Lions stable will beg to differ.
Result: HB Magpies 35 (Zac Guildford, Telusa Veainu, Adam Bradey, Ihaia West tries; West 3 pens, 3 cons) Wellington Lions 24 (Victor Vito, Mark Reddish, Afa Fa'atau tries; Lima Sopoaga 3 cons, pen).
HT: 23-14.