Guildford hat-trick ices Hawke's Bay win

Published: 9:12PM Thursday October 08, 2009 Source: NZPA

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Hawke's Bay overcame a sloppy start to ease their way towards the Air NZ Cup rugby semifinals with a resounding 54-8 win over strugglers Counties-Manukau in Napier on Thursday night.

The bonus-point result consolidated their second placing, leaving them to win one of their remaining two games, at home against Canterbury and away to lowly Northland, to confirm a playoffs berth.

But Hawke's Bay were far from convincing, taking well into the second half to get on top of bottom-placed Counties-Manukau who more than held their own for 50 minutes.

Hawke's Bay led just 13-8 at the interval but ended with seven tries, including a hat-trick to young wing Zac Guildford, who lifted his season's tally to 12.

All of Guildford's tries came in a 10-minute burst and the best was his last when he stepped three defenders from a standing start.

The hosts were too complacent in the first half after a disjointed effort against opponents who hustled, bustled and disrupted the heavy pre-match favourites.

Counties-Manukau provided the highlight of the first stanza when mobile prop Simon Lemalu scored a try after sloppy passing among the Hawke's Bay backs gifted a turnover.

Lemalu picked up the spoils himself and put through a grubber kick which sat up nicely for flanker DJ Forbes before Lemalu followed up to accept the final pass to cross the line.

That cancelled out an earlier try to Hawke's Bay prop Faka'anaua Taumalolo following a series of pick-and-goes by the home side's forwards.

Hawke's Bay side received a boost early in the second half when No 8 Thomas Waldrom scored a try after catching Counties-Manukau unawares when he took a quick tap from a scrum free kick.

First five-eighth Mathew Berquist maintained his fine goalkicking record with the conversion then added a penalty to stretch his side's advantage out to 23-8 with 30 minutes remaining.

Waldrom accounted for their third try, too, being driven over the line after a lineout drive as Hawke's Bay turned to their forwards to gain the control lacking earlier.

Opportunities then began presenting themselves as the match opened up, and Hawke's Bay quickly added further tries to captain Jason Shoemark and Guildford as Counties-Manukau fell off the pace.

Hawke's Bay 54 (Zac Guildford 3, Thomas Waldrom 2, Faka'anaua Taumalolo, Jason Shoemark tries; Mathew Berquist 3 pen, 5 con)
Counties-Manukau 8 (Simon Lemalu try; Tim Nanai-Williams con).
Halftime: 13-8.

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