Life without the Log

AuthorDoug Laing RUGBY
Published date28 September 2022
Publication titleHastings Leader, The
But coach Josh Syms knows it won’t be easy, saying: “The public, being what it is, would probably regard anything less than winning the NPC as a failure.”

To reach the final and win the major title, both for the first time in the NPC’s 47 years, the Magpies, for starters, have to get to the playoffs, needing to win at least one of their two remaining matches in the 10-match round-robin draw.

They face the Bay of Plenty Steamers in an “odds” conference and Battle of the Bay game at Tauranga on Saturday, and “evens” conference side Tasman on September 30 at McLean Park, probably the last match at home this season for the Magpies, who already have two losses away from home, and the third loss at the weekend.

Hawke’s Bay are sitting on a history of four consecutive away losses to the Bay of Plenty Steamers since a 32-13 win in Rotorua in 2011, and the TAB is rating BOP $1.62 favourites.

Currently fourth in the “odds” conference, the Magpies — if they reach the playoffs — will face a quarter-final against one of the other sides in the “odds” conference.

Most likely, that would be a revenge match against Wellington in Wellington, or in Hamilton against defending NPC champions Waikato, with whom the Magpies drew 32-all in the opening round on August 6. Waikato are the TAB favourites for their shield challenge for against Wellington this weekend.

The Magpies came closest to the title last year. They were No1 in the minor premiership, and beat eventual finalists Tasman and Waikato in shield defences, only to be beaten in a semifinal. They were left to watch defending champions Tasman and eventual 2022 winners Waikato play the final.

The issue for Syms and the team is to lift themselves back to the type of shield-winning level which marks the team’s history with three of their four challengers this season — Hawke’s Bay having superior win-loss Ranfurly Shield match records against North Harbour, Southland and Wellington, but inferior records in all matches against each of the unions.

Saturday’s game gave Wellington just their fourth win in 12 shield matches against Hawke’s Bay.

It was Wellington’s 100th shield match, and came 100 years and 39 days after Hawke’s Bay’s first shield challenge win, a 19-9 victory over Wellington in 1922, and the beginning of Hawke’s Bay’s nearly five years at the top in the 1920s.

It was also the 100th first-class match...

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