Hawke's Bay finally got a tick in the win column with a 17-9 win
over Manawatu in a ITM Cup rugby match at Palmerston
North today.
The result saw Manawatu fall to their fifth straight loss of the
season despite a promising 9-6 lead at halftime.
Both teams, down on confidence both without a win, were unable to
exert their authority on the game for any great period of
time.
Promising moves often broke down in midfield and turnovers were the
order of the day.
It was left to the light sprinkling of All Blacks in the game --
Aaron Cruden for Manawatu, dress rehearsing for his anticipated
callup to start against Australia in the Tri Nations in two weeks
in place
of the injured Dan Carter and Israel Dagg and discarded All Black
Zac Guildford for Hawke's Bay -- to insert some individual quality
into the game.
Dagg was outstanding in the stop-start match. His twinkling
footwork made him as slippery as an eel to stop.
Guildford was industrious and his persistence paid off when he set
up the game's only try in the second half.
Hawke's Bay got closest to scoring a try in the first half but
hooker Hika Elliot was held up over the line in the ninth
minute after a line-out drive.
All the points came off the boots of Daniel Kirkpatrick for Hawke's
Bay and Cruden who kicked three penalties to his opposite's
two.
Guildford broke the game open in the 60th minute with a clever
grubber that fresh-faced rookie wing Gillies Kaka collected to
score his first national championship try.
Kirkpatrick missed the conversion but made amends after Dagg
conjured up a 73rd minute penalty.
Hawke's Bay 17
(Gillies Kaka try; Daniel Kirkpatrick 4
pen)
Manawatu 9 (Aaron Cruden 3 pen).
Halftime: 6-9.
