Tasman knock over top team Hawkes Bay 21 - 19
Tailenders Tasman battled to their first win of rugby's national provincial championship with a 21-19 win over championship table-toppers Hawke's Bay in Napier tonight.
Both teams scored two tries apiece, and it was the boot of captain and second five-eighth Andrew Goodman that proved the difference after Hawke's Bay led 14-11 at halftime.
The home team backline had a bit of a makeshift look about it, missing winger Tu Umaga-Marshall, second five-eighth Andrew Horrell, first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick and halfback Chris Eaton all to injury.
So while two Richard Buckman penalties opened the scoring to give them a 6-0 lead after 12 minutes, it was perhaps unsurprising that Tasman scored the first try.
Hawke's Bay had dominated possession, but Tasman showed patience when they finally got their hands on some ball, building phases before moving the ball wide to winger Mitchell Scott.
The New Zealand under-20 representative showed perfect timing to dive over in the corner, touching down a split second before Bay winger Sinoti Sinoti slammed him into touch.
Goodman couldn't make the wide conversion and Hawke's Bay led 6-5 after 20 minutes, extending the margin three minutes later with a third Buckman penalty.
Tasman reclaimed the lead with two Goodman penalties, and the first half looked set to wind down with the visitors leading 11-9.
A man down after tighthead prop Anthony Perenise was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock on as Tasman attacked their line, Hawke's Bay snared the halftime lead barely a minute from the break.
Hurricanes flanker Karl Lowe powered over as Hawke's Bay's maul, backed up by a snappy pick and go, forced a path through the Tasman defence.
Buckman couldn't make the conversion, and the Bay went into the break 14-11 up.
Tasman levelled five minutes into the second half with another Goodman penalty, and the scores remained tied until replacement flanker Adam Bradey peeled off an attacking Hawke's Bay scrum to bulldoze over for the try.
Buckman couldn't add the extras, and Tasman regained the lead five minutes later. No 8 Mark Bright -- rested for the first half after playing all four previous games -- showed excellent strength to smash through the Hawke's Bay line defence to touch down.
Goodman's conversion made it 21-19, and Tasman defended well to hold off the Hawke's Bay onslaught, then showed good control to keep the ball in tight and shut out the win.
- NZPA
