24 v 27 
Full Match Report to Follow
Hawke’s Bay halfback Alby Mathewson – Source: Photosport
Fulltime: Hawkes Bay 24 Counties Manukau 27 – Wow! It’s all over, Counties hold on and they have won the Ranfurly Shield for the first time in their history.
77 mins: Hawkes Bay 24 Counties Manukau 27 – TRY! Sikeli Nabou twists and turns over the tryline and places the ball down before he is swamped by his team mates. Counties getting great value from their forwards out wide. Conversion is just away.
70 mins: Hawkes Bay 24 Counties Manukau 22 – TRY! Not done yet. Sean Reidy finishes like a forward in the corner from nice hands in the makeshift backline. That man Stowers again the catalyst, another break to get them close.
68 mins: Hawkes Bay 24 Counties Manukau 17 – West atones for his previous miss and it’s a converted try away now for Counties. The locals are going off now.
62 mins: Hawkes Bay 21 Counties Manukau 17 – West has the chance to make the lead seven but just slides the ball wide. All the Bay at the moment.
53 mins: Hawkes Bay 21 Counties Manukau 17 – Mark Atkins bashes his way through some weak Counties defence and West misses the conversion. 21-17 to the holders
43 mins: Hawkes Bay 16 Counties Manukau 17 –Kerr gets the first say as Stowers’ break in amongst the fat boys puts the Magpies on the back foot and they infringe in front of the posts.
Halftime: Hawkes Bay 16 Counties Manukau 14 – Hawkes Bay had the better second quarter and look the more nimble on their feet at the half way point. Less whistle would make this game open up again.
36 mins: Hawkes Bay 16 Counties Manukau 14 – And it’s West’s turn, in front and fautless from 35 out after the ruck becomes a trip wire for Counties.
33 mins: Hawkes Bay 13 Counties Manukau 14 – Kerr answers back from miles away! The Magpies hold on to the ball carrier and get penalised with the ball sailing over from wide left and 40 out.
30 mins: Hawkes Bay 13 Counties Manukau 11 – West from the angle puts his side in the lead as Counties are pinged for entering the ruck from the side. Momentum swinging the Bay’s way.
26 mins: Hawkes Bay 10 Counties Manukau 11 – Head-high tackle on halfback Matthewson from halfback Pulu. West strokes it over from dead in front.
21 mins: Hawkes Bay 7 Counties Manukau 11 – The Magpies don’t get beyond the ten metre diameter and Kerr has the chance from 45 out he’s on target!
16 mins: Hawkes Bay 7 Counties Manukau 8 – TRY! What a reply as Gillies Kaka, Alby Matthewson and Telusa Veainu combine to bamboozle the Counties scrambling defence down the right touchline. A 60 metre movement to better Stowers’ earlier effort. Kaka’s gilt edged pass with a blade of grass in it gets the OK from the TMO. West makes it a one point game in-off the upright.
11 mins: Hawkes Bay 0 Counties Manukau 8 – TRY! Brilliant mopping up from a dangerous chip kick by Augustine Pulu which sets up the touchline break in his own half, Sherwin Stowers burning up on the Pulu’s inside and burning off West to finish in the corner. Kerr can’t add the two.
5 mins: Hawkes Bay 0 Counties Manukau 3 – Hika Elliot forgets which team he plays for and throws to his old Magpie team mates. Counties pounce on the isolated ball carrier and earn the penalty which Baden Kerr just gets from 52 metres out.
1 min: Hawkes Bay 0 Counties Manukau 0 – Ihaia West gets the defence underway.
The teams are about to come out to perfect conditions, clear skies and with no wind to speak of. Only a few sitting spaces left on the Eastern embankment.
Pre Match
Not to be overlooked due to the small matter of a Test Match later on this evening, Counties Manukau are looking to become the 17th Union to win the Ranfurly Shield in their clash with Hawkes Bay in Napier today.
Whilst not capturing their form from 2012, there have been glimpses from the South Aucklanders of their ability to match it with the best provinces in the country.
The week hasn’t been kind to them though.
Timing would have it their three-game stretch in a week falls this week and two losses preceding today combines with the fact question marks have been hanging over Frank Halai, fellow wing Toni Pulu, Hika Elliot, Baden Kerr and captain Fritz Lee.
Coach Tana Umaga has been in the gun also for his take on Wednesday night’s refereeing in their loss to Auckland.
The hosts on the other hand are only likely to be missing All Black Ben Franks and will be riding high on having the Shield for the week.
With an 18,000 capacity predicted for the fixture at McLean Park, the rocket boost the famous Shield has received since Otago beat Waikato two weeks ago will get another fuel injection.
Are we going to see another babysitting stint come to an end or extended stay with potential challenges from Northland and North Harbour coming to Napier?
Hawkes Bay:1- Brendon Edmonds, 2- Ash Dixon, 3- Max Lahiff, 4- Michael Allardice, 5- Mark Abbott, 6- Mike Coman (capt), 7- Brendon O’Connor, 8- Mark Atkins, 9- Alby Mathewson, 10- Ihaia West, 11- Zac Guildford, 12- Adam Bradey, 13- Richard Buckman, 14- Telusa Veainu, 15-Gillies Kaka
Reserves: 16- Ged Robinson, 17- Adrian Barone, 18- Trent Boswell-Wakefield, 19- Karl Lowe, 20- Chris Eaton, 21- Régis Lespinas, 22- Trinity Spooner-Neera
Counties Manukau:1- Simon Lemalu, 2- Hikawera Elliot, 3- Jarrod Firth, 4- Ronald Raaymakers, 5- Jimmy Tupou, 6- Adam Cathcart, 7- Maama Vaipulu, 8- Fritz Lee, 9- Augustine Pulu, 10- Baden Kerr, 11- Toni Pulu, 12- Bundee Aki, 13- Reynold Lee-Lo, 14- Frank Halai, 15- Sherwin Stowers
Reserves:16- Suli Taufalele, 17- Sam Aiono, 18- Sikeli Nabou, 19- Sean Reidy, 20- Kane Hancy, 21- Ahsee Tuala, 22- Sam Vaka
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