Life can be just as tough in the lower ranks

Counties Manukau's hopes of a quick return to the first division took a blow with an 80-minute assault from Hawkes Bay in the Napier sun.

Defending champions Hawkes Bay again showed that they will be difficult to beat in the second division with a 51-20 win over Counties Manukau, last year's relegated first-division side.

The Magpies picked up a four-try bonus point before halftime, scored a total of eight tries, and remain the only unbeaten team in the division after four rounds.

Counties Manukau were in touch, with tries to flying winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and first five-eighths Stephen Donald helping them to a 15-12 lead after 27 minutes.

But winger Ray Karauria and midfield back Frank Walker scored within three minutes of each other to give Hawkes Bay a 24-15 halftime lead.

The second half was one-way traffic, with hooker Mo Schwalger and Karauria each scoring their second tries to cap fine games.

Midfielder Davis Norman, returning after a six-week spell with injury, completed the try-fest.

Hawkes Bay coach Kieran Keane even had the luxury of giving his entire bench a run late in the match.

The Magpies' nearest challengers are now their former Central Vikings partners Manawatu, whose brilliant first-half performance set up a convincing 39-22 win over Marlborough in Blenheim.

It took just three minutes for fullback Esava Tiko to run in the first of his two tries, followed by an 80m counterattacking effort from winger Taf Manyimo, who also bagged a first-half double.

When lock Jason Eaton scored a runaway try from a lineout on halftime, Anthony Papenfus' conversion gave Manawatu a 31-5 lead.

Stern words from coach Alex Wyllie at halftime fired the Red Devils up for a vastly improved second-half performance and at 34-22 Marlborough were in the hunt.

But Manawatu's defence held and replacement flanker Mark Knofflock sealed victory with the game's final try.

Manawatu and Hawkes Bay will clash in Napier in a fortnight.

After some narrow losses, Nelson Bays put their campaign back on track with a hard-fought 19-10 victory over East Coast in Ruatoria.

After losing to Hawkes Bay last weekend, the Bays sealed the game in the last 15 minutes with a try to winger Steve Dunn after they had set the platform in the first half, forging a 14-3 lead.

East Coast came back strongly in the second half, lock Kele Leawere scoring and Mano Flutey converting, and they also had a try disallowed.

Dunn's try was the killer blow in a tough encounter, leaving last year's beaten finalists East Coast with just one win from four games.

Mid-Canterbury kept themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot as they held off winless Thames Valley 17-16 in Ashburton.

In the third division, North Otago dealt to one of their nearest challengers to keep up their average of 40-plus points a game and further shorten their odds for the title.

Horowhenua-Kapiti were expected to provide stiff opposition at Waikanae, but North Otago rattled up a 40-0 win after a rampant first-half performance in which they piled on 26 points.

King Country remained level on points with North Otago as they dispatched Poverty Bay 29-17 in Gisborne for their fourth win from five games.

North Otago, though, should claim the lead on their own next weekend against Wanganui at home while King Country have the bye.

King Country scored four tries in the last 22 minutes on Saturday to bank five competition points, despite playing most of the game in their own half.

Defending champions South Canterbury recorded their first win in Wanganui in 48 years as they beat the home side 21-16, and in Westport, a strong display by the forwards was the key to Buller's beating Wairarapa Bush 32-24.

- NZPA