The man with the goal - Hawke’s Bay Magpies fullback Harry Godfrey

The right foot of Hawke’s Bay Magpies goalkicking hero Harry Godfrey is probably worth bottling, but it can wait.

It’s needed again at the capital city’s Sky Stadium when the Magpies play one for the fans on Saturday, with 21-year-old fullback Godfrey in the box-seat as the team strives for a last-round win over Wellington to claim a home playoff in the Bunnings NPC quarterfinals.

Been there, done that, of course, for the Magpies last year, having taken a last-minute try and conversion to beat Wellington 20-18 in a Ranfurly Shield challenge, and returned a fortnight later to hold on for a 25-24 semi-final victory.

Hawke's Bay Magpies fullback and goalkicker Harry Godfrey, a week after kicking the big ones against Auckland and now ready to line them up against Wellington. Photo / Doug Laing.

Tasman became the first to guarantee a top-four place and a home playoff when they beat Auckland 31-17 in a Ranfurly Shield defence in Nelson on Wednesday night.

But at the time the Magpies game starts at 4.35pm, all four of the remaining top-five sides could be still chasing the other three semi-final positions.

It highlights the importance of that Godfrey kick in last Saturday’s 36-35 win over Auckland in Napier – more to the point, three kicks.

It put the Magpies in range of a No 2 finish on the ladder, when 15 minutes earlier missing a place even in the top eight was a looming possibility.

After training in Napier on Thursday, Godfrey admitted feeling the pressure in the Magpies’ form-slump since early-season wins.

Perhaps shielded a little by not having been in those losing teams, he knew he had only one job to do if it came to the crunch against Auckland.

It “hurt” losing the shield by one point, and it hurt more when the side was beaten 50-5 by Waikato in Hamilton then 63-19 by Taranaki at McLean Park.

“It was a pretty tough feeling in the group,” said the boy from Hunterville, who from Whanganui Collegiate made the New Zealand Secondary Schools team and then had two years with the New Zealand Under 20s.

But he was able to put the most recent history aside as he lined up that crucial kick three minutes into injury time last Saturday, thinking: “This is what you play the game for.”

His own return from injury is followed by that of No 8 Devan Flanders, who has been out of the NPC this season with a hand injury, and halfback Folau Fakatava, missing since the September 1 win over Manawatu.

Additionally, Thompson is boosted into the starting 15 after being at the forefront of last weekend’s revival after he came off the bench, and rookie lock Hunter Morrison gets a start alongside captain Tom Parson.

Midweek, Wellington was the TAB favourite at $1.35 to win, with the Magpies at $3 – 12 months ago it was Wellington $1.33 and Hawke’s Bay $3.20.

The Hawke’s Bay Magpies to play Wellington at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Saturday, starting at 4.35pm:

Pouri Rakete Stones, Tyrone Thompson, Joel Hintz; Hunter Morrison, Tom Parsons (captain); Hugh Renton, Josh Kaifa; Devan Flanders; Folau Fakatava, Lincoln McClutchie; Freedom Vaha’akolo, Kienan Higgins, Nick Grigg, Ben O’Donnell; Harry Godfrey. Reserves: Kianu Kereru Symes, Tim Farrell, Josh Smith, Geoff Cridge, Patrick Tuifua, Sam Wye, Danny Toala, Sam Smith.