NPC: Warm Saturday night forecast for Hawke’s Bay Magpies’ big match at McLean Park

Magpies fullback Zarn Sullivan in one of his many runs during the crucial NPC win over Manawatū in Palmerston North on Saturday night. As a result, the Magpies have a quarter-final in Napier this week. Photo / Andy Radka, Action Press

The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union has switched into big-match mode, chasing the biggest Magpies crowd of the season for the team’s NPC quarter-final on Saturday night.

The rights to a McLean Park home playoff came in a combination of the Magpies’ 38-10 win over Manawatū in Palmerston North and Taranaki’s 34-14 loss to Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday, as the 10-week regular season ended at the weekend.

It’s the Magpies’ first home playoff since 2021, but they go to the park with four consecutive losses to Taranaki, including two years ago in the Bay’s only first-division final in 50 seasons of NPC rugby.

Early predictions are for a bumper crowd on an expected warm weekend, with temperatures possibly about 16C during the game, which starts at 7.10pm.

The Magpies’ biggest crowd in five home matches to date this year was 6212 on September 6 for a 45-19 win over defending champions Wellington, who this year failed to make the top-eight post-season places, along with usual fellow heavyweights Auckland.

“We need a crowd of at least 10,000,” Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union commercial manager Dan Somerville said. “We need them to come along and help get the team over the line. It could be the last home game this season.”

Public ticket sales open on Tuesday at 10, with a 24-hour early-bird 20% discount on seats in non-premium areas of the ground.

To keep their hosting hopes alive, the Magpies had to beat the Manawatū Turbos in Palmerston North on Saturday night.

As hot TAB favourites, captain Tom Parsons’ team triumphed on a wet ground with a six-tries-to-two victory.

Centre Anaru Paenga-Morgan scored in the third minute, after fullback Zarn Sullivan carved neatly through the Manawatū defence to set the ball up close to the line.

It was a sign of things to come, with Sullivan figuring in almost every try as the Magpies dominated the left flank.

Left wing Neria Fomai scored in the 29th minute and Sullivan grabbed one of his own just on halftime, when the Magpies led 21-0.

They had to wait until the 15th minute of the second half before hooker and co-captain Jacob Devery, coming on as a substitute, scored the Magpies’ near-prerequisite bonus-point fourth try as they drove towards a seventh NPC win in 2025.

Manawatū scored two unconverted tries, to hooker Vernon Bason and wing James Tofa (his eighth of the season), sandwiching a piece of extra skill from Magpies No 8 Devan Flanders entering the last quarter, Flanders toeing ahead as a pass dropped on to his boot and chasing the ball to score.

Fomai scored his second try and fourth of the season in the 76th minute.

First five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie’s four conversions took him to 36 points in four appearances this season since first assuming the No 10 shirt in the injury absence of first-choice Harry Godfrey.

There was also a big game from prop Pouri Rakete-Stones, back from injury but limping from the field late in the match.

Meanwhile, Poverty Bay, with Wairoa players Ngahiwi Manuel and Keanu Taumata starring, were denied a Heartland Championship Meads Cup semifinal after a dramatic 29-24 loss to Wairarapa Bush in Masterton.

It started with both on 23 points, the home side in sixth place and Poverty Bay in seventh, knowing a win for either could take them as high as second place.

On the artificial turf in Masterton, hooker Manuel scored two tries and flanker Taumata one as Poverty Bay led 24-17 with five minutes to go and trailed for only eight of the 80 minutes of ordinary time.

The home side’s converted try in the 76th minute tied it at 24-24, a 60m penalty goal attempt just missed and a try in extra time claimed their fourth place and a Meads Cup semifinal against No 1 side Mid-Canterbury in Ashburton.

Poverty Bay will play a Lochore Cup semifinal against North Otago in Ōamaru.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter for Hawke’s Bay Today based in Napier for 38 years, covering most aspects of news and sport.