Kienan Higgins and Lukas Ripley celebrate a Hawke’s Bay try.
Photo: Kerry Marshall/www.photosport.nz
A strong finish by the impressive Hawke’s Bay side saw them run out big winners over Counties-Manukau to start their NPC campaign.
The game finished 54-14, with Hawke’s Bay scoring eight tries to two.
Replacement wing Andrew Tauatevalu’s kick-chase effort with 10 minutes to play was the most spectacular, but by then, the damage had been done against a Steelers side that had done well to hang in the game until the hour mark.
The first half looked like one-way traffic, as Hawke’s Bay centre Nick Grigg scored after only seven minutes, with a lovely in and away swerve past the defence. Jonah Lowe added another with a strong run into the corner, followed by Kienan Higgins not long after. Counties-Manukau hit back with lock Leo Ngatai-Tafau barging over right on halftime.
Both sides traded tries to start the second half, with Lowe being yellow-carded, as he left the field for a head injury assessment. Lowe collided with a flying Etene Nanai-Seturo while contesting a high ball and can consider himself pretty unlucky, as he had his back turned to the Counties-Manukau fullback and did not initiate contact.
Lowe did not return, although once Tautevalu came on to replace him, Hawke’s Bay started to cut loose. Cooper Flanders and Lukas Ripley both scored off broken play, then Tautevalu broke out of his own 22 to set up Lincoln McClutchie with the last try of the game.
Things don’t get any easier for Counties-Manukau, who next weekend host a Bay of Plenty side that walloped a very stacked Tasman side 37-7 in the day’s early game. Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay head south to Dunedin to take on Otago.
Read how the game unfolded here: