Rugby: Messy Magpies cost themselves victory

Israel Dagg of Hawkes Bay gets tackled by Tamati Ellison of Wellington. Photo / Getty Images

Air NZ Cup
Hawke's Bay 13
Wellington 21

Two daft kicks cost Hawke's Bay this match and Wellington can be thankful they caught them when the gremlins got among the powerful, direct side which undid Auckland.

The Bay, as the song used to say, have something goin' on. Auckland one week, Wellington the next and a fair bit of guts and style mixed in. While it's clear the Bay are a handful, they'll need to be more clinical than this against decent opposition.

Wellington's two tries came from misguided kicks from halfback Chris Eaton and Zac Guildford - one in each half - and the Bay were not at their best; unable to keep passes and movements going. Their errors kept Wellington in the game.

They are a direct, bristling team, the Bay, and obtain some good go-forward through the likes of No 8 Thomas Waldrom, flanker George Naoupu, prop Sona Taumalolo and, in the backs, centre Jason Shoemark and fullback Israel Dagg.

They have the knack of making good yards with the ball in hand - although they made too many mistakes last night - and a pack which unites quickly at the breakdown. They unsettled Wellington last night.

It took over half an hour for some quality to break through but, when it did, this match came to life and Hosea Gear was involved both times.

Gear scored the opening try after a scorching counter-attack from Wellington fullback Tamati Ellison and, having touched down over the goal line, Gear sat down over the sideline when he was yellow-carded for killing the ball immediately afterwards.

Hawke's Bay halfback Eaton does some things well - his passing off the ground is slick and clean and shows up those halfbacks who pick the ball up and go stutter-stutter-stutter-pass. But he made mistakes too, one of them being the neither-one-thing-nor-the-other kick which Ellison fielded.

Ellison easily beat Eaton's weak tackle and his momentum took him into a big hole bordered by about six Hawke's Bay defenders. He weaved and swerved and, when the ball came back for Gear to score, the movement had galloped 55m.

When Gear was carded immediately afterwards, the pay-off came quickly. The Bay forwards rolled the ball goalwards and nuggety prop Taumalolo scored his second try in two weeks by burrowing through the maul, much to the consternation of a previously sound Wellington defence.

Matt Berquist had a fine day with the boot and his sideline conversion put the home team ahead at halftime. Berquist can look a touch skittery but he kicked for position well, ran to the line and marshalled his backline competently.

Towards the last quarter, Wellington increased the pressure, dominating possession and field position. Daniel Kirkpatrick kicked a good penalty, his replacement Fa'atonu Fili popped over a drop goal and Wellington suddenly looked compelling at 16-13. Coach Colin Cooper used his bench well - hooker Dane Coles, loose forward Api Naikatini and Fili all made a difference - and the Bay rushed things.

Like when Guildford went for a chip downfield under pressure, got it wrong and the ball settled in the arms of Wellington winger David Smith.

He eluded the first tackler and ended up in the clear when the tackler swung him around. Smith's try was a soft end to a match which the Bay made hard for themselves.

Hawke's Bay 13 (S. Taumalolo try; M. Berquist con, 2 pens), Wellington 21 (H. Gear, D. Smith tries; D. Kirkpatrick con, 2 pens; F. Fili drop goal). Halftime: 13-10.