Steamers v Magpies

[sportboy]

See HB have young U20 tyro Star Timu starting at centre tomorrow...

BOP
1 Joe Savage
2 John Pareanga
3 Josh Hohneck
4 Luke Katene
5 Culum Retallick
6 Luke Andrews
7 Sam Cane
8 Colin Bourke (C)
9 Chad Tuoro
10 Phil Burleigh
11 Jason Hona
12 Grant McQuoid
13 Ben Smith
14 Lance McDonald
15 Nick McCashin
16 Simon Chisholm
17 Ted Tauroa
18 Aidan Kuka
19 Tanerau Latimer
20 Dan Waenga
21 Brett Mather
22 Toby Arnold
23 Chris Elvin
Hawke's Bay
1 Whetu Barber
2 Hika Elliot (c)
3 Anthony Perenise
4 Ross Kennedy
5 Leighton Price
6 Michael Johnson
7 Karl Lowe
8 Trent Boswell-Wakefield
9 Kahn Fotuali'i
10 Daniel Kirkpatrick
11 Gillies Kaka
12 Jason Shoemark
13 Star Timu
14 Richard Buckman
15 Mark Jackman
16 Eugene Smith
17 Josh Keys
18 Brodie Retallick
19 Mike Coman
20 Hugh Reed
21 Chris Eaton
22 Andrew Horrell
23 Billy Ropiha
24 Luke Rooney

Prop set to erase Magpie memories

For Joe Savage, last year's pre-season rugby match against Hawke's Bay signalled a demoralising change in fortunes.
The Steamers prop had just finished a season with the Chiefs; he was fit, fresh and fizzing. Named as Bay of Plenty captain for the first time, Savage eagerly led his side out onto Tauranga Domain against the visiting Magpies ... only to scurry off 80mins later with his side on the wrong end of a 35-7 hiding.
Of course, that game was also Greg Smith's last act in his all too brief tenure as Steamers coach and a week later, Savage ruined his knee in the opening NPC match with Northland.
Tomorrow, the 27-year-old loosehead will trot onto McLean Park in Napier for Bay of Plenty's second pre-season match a year older and wiser.
After missing out on the 2010 Chiefs, Savage also boasts unbridled enthusiasm for a new Steamers campaign.
"This year, the ITM Cup has been my sole focus and I've watched the guys around me putting in all the work towards it," Savage, who has also just become a new dad, said. "It's just made me want to get into it even more."
The Steamers front row is exactly as it was a year ago, with Savage lining up alongside hooker John Pareanga and tighthead Josh Hohneck.
Elsewhere, there are a host of new faces, with only Ben Smith, Colin Bourke, Culum Retallick and Jason Hona having started the corresponding fixture a year ago.
That's delighted Savage, who is anticipating big things from the bolstered Bay ranks.
"There is more expectation this year because there's a lot more depth, and a few players who are still to prove themselves for the Bay yet. I definitely feel it - last year we didn't have a lot of pressure on us from guys behind but this year we're thriving on it and pushing harder at training."
Even though the front-row stocks are thin this week, there was the pleasing sight of James McGougan getting through a heavy session on Tuesday, while new Tasman recruits Dan Perrin and Tristan Moran have also been prominent.
New halfback signing Taniela Moa isn't expected until next week, and with Josh Hall also struggling with injury, it means Chad Tuoro will start tomorrow with no obvious cover on the bench.
Sam Cane has recovered enough from gashing his chest but Luke Braid is still nursing a cut cheek. Chris Elvin has been brought onto the bench as extra cover as 23rd man.
Savage, meanwhile, would like to think a decent season could again set him up for a crack at Super 15, after the disappointment of 2009.
"You can't help injuries but I would've liked to have come back a bit earlier last year. In the last game against Taranaki, I was just getting comfortable again and was playing a bit better. I didn't really get a chance to do much strength work so when I got back in, my legs weren't that strong and it was a bit of a shock after five or six weeks out."

[Baron Silas Greenback]

The depth is getting petty good nowdays. Exciting times!

[KiwiPie]

18 Brodie Retallick

Is this a relation sportboy?

Really hard to work out what the starting XV will be for the Waikato game, lots of options to consider (which is rare in itself).

[Baron Silas Greenback]

Ben Smith at 13 is an interesting call as well.

Any news on when Masaga is due back?

[WingerHB]

Cousin

Is this a relation sportboy?

Really hard to work out what the starting XV will be for the Waikato game, lots of options to consider (which is rare in itself).

[KiwiPie]

I'll post score updates on here as and when I get them.

[sportboy]

Lovely day in Napier... McQuoid out with illness for the Steamers and Guildford on the bench for H-Bay. Kick-off time!

[sportboy]

1:30: HB: Dab by fullback Jackman, fed blind to prop Whetu Barber, over in corner. Jackman converts from touch, 7-0.

[sportboy]

11min: Guildford on as blood bin replacement puts grubber through after Kirkpattrick break, Hona slipped over and Jackman dots down in corner. Missed con. 12-0 HB.

[KiwiPie]

Come on, let's have some good news!

[sportboy]

As you wish! 17min: BOP: Good lineout drive from pen, 10m out, Burleigh skip pass to Smith who put Arnold through a gap to score. Burleigh missed con. 12-5 HB.

[KiwiPie]

As you wish! 17min: BOP: Good lineout drive from pen, 10m out, Burleigh skip pass to Smith who put Arnold through a gap to score. Burleigh missed con. 12-5 HB.

You learn fast!

[sportboy]

25min: Shoemark break off Fotualii short pass, 30m run, recycled several times, then 14 finished overlap in corner. Missed con. 17-5 HB.

[sportboy]

34min: Sustained BOP attack, fed right to MacDonald in space, stepped his way cleverly over from 20m out. Burleigh off with blood nose, Waenga misses kick. 17-10 HB.

[sportboy]

37min: HB turnover 5m from line, fed to MacDonald who breaks 50m, fed left to Luke Andrews who ignores three players supporting and runs 30m into the corner. Waenga misses con. 17-15 HB.

[KiwiPie]

Woohoo! We need a kicker.

[sportboy]

Halftime: Hawke's Bay 17 Bay of Plenty 15.
Sharp first quarter by the home side, rookie wing Gillies Kaka making several ranging runs. Lots of possession. BOP fought back despite McCashin and Burleigh going off, scored two good tries and narrowly missed two more in the final minutes of the half. Strong displays from Lance MacDonald, Ben Smith and Toby Arnold in the backs and Sam Cane and Culum Retallick in the forwards.

[KiwiPie]

Good stuff sportboy, grab yourself a pie and rest your fingers for a few minutes. What happened to McCashin and Burleigh? Who came in for McQuoid?

[sportboy]

Second half: Luke Rooney on at fullback for HB. Looks like a bean-pole on stilts. Guildford on too... apparently been released from AB camp for the game. Bourke off for BOP, Kuka on at No 8. That's not a typo either. Latimer on at blindside, Andrews into lock, replacing Katene.

[sportboy]

Good stuff sportboy, grab yourself a pie and rest your fingers for a few minutes. What happened to McCashin and Burleigh? Who came in for McQuoid?

Just scoffed a famous "Mag Pie" thanks KP. Over-rated too. They didn't replace McQuoid, just fielding 22 players, HB have 25-man squad. Not sure about McCashin, Burleigh may have had most of his nose smeared across his face. Looked that way from all the blood.

[sportboy]

47min: Good 40m break from Cane and Kuka, 5m out Waenga runs wide with overlap, floats ball to MacDonald who steps past Kaka to score his second. Waenga slots conversion from wide. 22-17 BOP.

[sportboy]

50min: HB hit straight back, great break from Shoemark down the blind, feeds Fotualii who runs 20m to score in corner. Kirkpatrick misses con, all locked up at 22-all.

[sportboy]

53min: Latimer puts Arnold through a gap, Arnold dummies, 25m run, lays sweet pass to Smith who scores under the posts. Waenga con. 29-22 BOP.

[sportboy]

63min: BOP get pen 45m out, Waenga nails it. 32-22 BOP.

[sportboy]

67min: Couple of pens, BOP attacking lineout 10m out, drives and eventually Josh Hohneck over. Waenga converts from sideline. Again. Just to prove you nay-sayers wrong! 39-22 BOP and HB could become just plain old 'Hawkes' pretty soon...