Hawke’s Bay rugby: Former All Black Richard Turner harbours big hopes for Magpies in NPC

He’s a commentator and former All Black with a foot in both camps as the Hawke’s Bay Magpies start their Bunnings NPC campaign.

And he believes this year’s side is well placed to go one better than last year and claim the Bay’s first division-one title in 49 years of the National Provincial Championship rugby competition.

Former All Black and Hawke's Bay and North Harbour NPC player Richard Turner (left) with fellow TV commentators Ken Laban (centre) and Stu Wilson.

Richard Turner, a now 56-year-old former Napier Boys’ High School pupil who played 18 matches for the Magpies in 1986-1988 before heading north for 86 matches with then new union North Harbour, warns the 2024 NPC is shaping as the most competitive in years.

It opens with a match between the two unions at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday, and a Ranfurly Shield defence against Southland in Napier six days later.

Turner, who played two matches for the All Blacks in 1992, believes Hawke’s Bay’s new hold on the Ranfurly Shield and reluctance to let it go will give them a big advantage.

Enough that he believes they will get through the first three defences ready for the September 20 challenge from Taranaki, who beat the Magpies 22-19 in the Bay’s first NPC final last year.

“I’m a massive fan of the NPC and really look forward to this time of the season,” said Turner, whose commentating will bring him to McLean Park twice during the season, “for the Northland and Auckland Shield games”.

“In terms of predictions I genuinely believe this will be the most competitive NPC for some time,” he said. “Lots of talent on display across the majority of the squads.”

“Can the Bay go one better this year? With one hand firmly over one eye I say yes of course they will,” he said.

“Reality suggests it will be a tough ask, though, but they have a couple of things in their favour... firstly, a good home draw, combined with the motivation of defending the Shield, which will see them pick up hard fought wins that might not necessarily happen if they didn’t have the raucous fans and motivation of being shield custodians.

“They have their usual big tough forward pack that will provide a great foundation to work from and enough exciting young talent in the backs to score points. I’m looking forward to seeing them in action next Sunday against my second-favourite provincial team.”

The shield has given the Magpies’ squad the advantage of two matches with a hint of pressure in two defences against Heartland amateur rugby sides, albeit with two wins by large scores – 57-7 against King Country and 80-5 against Whanganui.

It was a more realistic sign of things in a pre-NPC hit-out against Waikato in Taupō, where, with all available squad members given a run, the Magpies were beaten 31-28.

The Magpies have beaten North Harbour twice by two points since Hawke’s Bay’s last trip to North Harbour Stadium, when North Harbour won 46-10 in 2020.

The teams for Sunday’s match will be named on Thursday, but of the Magpies team in the last match against North Harbour two years ago, 10 of the starting line-up are in the current squad for 2024, as are five from that subs bench.

Meanwhile, in Hastings on Saturday, the Hawke’s Bay Tui were beaten 43-19 by the Manawatū Cyclones in their second pre-season match as they prepare for the Farah Palmer Cup women’s championship, in which they celebrated a return to first division rugby with a win over eventual champions Auckland on their way to a place in the semifinals last year.

With a bye this weekend, the Tui start against Counties Manukau as a curtain-raiser to the Magpies’ August 17 NPC match against Southland.