Rugby: Wing's treble sees Bay home

Jason Shoemark of Hawke's Bay is tackled by Tevita Taufui of Manawatu. Photo / Getty Images

Hawke's Bay 35
Manawatu 30

There's an old truism in rugby: When you think a match is easy, it isn't.

Manawatu had no show of being competitive in this game.

They had suffered four losses on the trot and were without livewire first five-eighths Aaron Cruden, everyone's favourite All Black-in-waiting, as well as flanker Nick Crosswell in a season peppered with injuries and disruptions.

Which made it all the more surprising that No8 Brent Thompson sauntered over the Bay line with only a few minutes gone, watched with only casual interest by a disorganised defence - and that it took a hat-trick from flying winger Zac Guildford to take this match away from Manawatu.

Hawke's Bay have some difficult matches coming up - the 'battle of the Bays' against Bay of Plenty next week and a tough home encounter against Canterbury, who may have a fuller complement of All Blacks then - and it looked as if their thoughts were there instead of the business at hand.

The forwards worked hard enough, but the first 20 minutes produced sights not normally associated with Hawke's Bay this season - missed tackles, dropped balls and a rather disjointed lack of urgency.

It got worse when Manawatu easily won an attacking lineout, hooker Rob Foreman sauntered through the Bay midfield defence as if he had always played centre, and slipped a fine pass to Tomasi Cama, whose dancing feet took him around fullback Israel Dagg.

Touted as a possible All Black of the future, Dagg will not look back on the first quarter of this game with much fondness, with a high error rate.

The other thing about letting a less favoured team slip away from you - Manawatu led 14-3 at this stage - is that it can be hard work regaining the initiative.

But the Bay managed it in about two minutes flat - courtesy of back-to-back tries to Guildford. The first came after good work by No8 Thomas Waldrom and flanker Karl Lowe after a poor kick from Manawatu winger Andre Taylor.

Guildford's pace took him away from fullback Kurt Baker after Lowe's scoring pass.

The second came after first five-eighths Matt Berquist put second five Andrew Horrell into a hole and the midfielder kept his head well, pausing to assess his options and then chipping a perfect kick to Guildford's wing, where the bounce and the winger's pace left Taylor chasing shadows.

That focused Bay minds. The forwards began worrying Manawatu with some rolling mauls, halfback Chris Eaton sniped around the rucks and through some of the holes that appeared there.

But in the second half Hawke's Bay again began by taking Manawatu a bit easy. Halfback Aaron Smith slipped round the blindside of a ruck, big lock James Goode slipped a ball away in the tackle and Baker's chip and chase worked a treat, with Dagg beaten again and Manawatu back in front 21-18.

That rattled the Bay. They gave away penalties, one of which Thompson - who was tidy, reliable and who kicked at 100 per cent - goaled to extend the lead.

They only woke again when coach Peter Russell brought on a flurry of subs. The pack, led by big replacement loose forward George Naoupu, Waldrom and bustling prop Sona Taumalolo, muscled it up for Taumalolo to score.

Another ice-cool Thompson penalty got Manawatu back in front 27-25 but Russell's changes had stirred the Bay's urgency. A Berquist penalty righted matters, they put the clamp on in the forwards with more rolling mauls and charges and they finally cracked the tough Manawatu nut with Guildford's hat-trick try after a break by centre Jason Shoemark.

Hawke's Bay didn't look championship contenders for much of this match. However, their attitude will be better when they haven't won the match in their minds before the whistle blows.

In spite of Guildford's finishing, Waldrom was their best player, closely followed by Taumalolo, and Naoupu stirred his team-mates with his contribution from the bench.

Hawke's Bay 35 (Z. Guildford 3, F. Taumalolo tries; M. Berquist 3 con, 3 pen) Manawatu 30 (B. Thompson, T. Cama, K. Baker tries; I. Thompson 3 con, 3 pen). Halftime: 18-14.