Courageous Counties pipped in the end. By Anthony Momoemausu Ranfurly Shield rugby never fails to entertain and it was the case again with the Counties Manukau Steelers falling agonisingly short to the Hawkes Bay Magpies 27-21 at ECOLight Stadium in Pukekohe Well after the full time siren had sounded the Steelers went within inches of retaining the most prestigious prize in New Zealand rugby but the breathtaking contest saw the men in black and white hold on for the famous win. The challengers were off to a sizzling start in the opening stages and looked certain to have scored the opening try after Magpies centre Robbie Fruean set Ryan Tongia free down the sideline. The electric winger had appeared to have beaten Counties captain Tim Nanai-Williams on the outside but as Tongia went to ground the ball he had lost control and a possible early try went begging. Counties were forced to absorb an attacking onslaught by the Magpies and were able to hold out another lunging effort as the Steelers defence stood up to the task. Eventually the Ranfurly Shield holders launched their own attack on the Hawkes Bay defensive line and were able to post first points as first five Ahsee Tuala nailed the penalty for a 3-0 lead. Although the Magpies found the breakthrough as the Hawkes Bay forward pack combined to see their captain Brendon OConnor cross for the first try after a well-worked rolling maul. It was a lead short-lived though as Counties managed to kick their way back in front when Tuala slotted his second penalty. With the weight of possession and territory firmly in favour of the visitors, the Magpies crossed again as OConnor grabbed his second try in similar fashion to his first with another clinical maul close to the line. The task was made a lot tougher for the holders when Hawkes Bay number 8 Gareth Evans showed exceptional pace to beat his opposite Jordan Taufua from a scrum before linking up with halfback Chris Eaton to go over for a fantastic long range try. Nanai-Williams narrowed the gap with a penalty from the half way mark minutes after but Magpies live wire Ihaia West restored the margin as his side went into the halftime break leading 20-9 Needing to strike first in the second stanza that was exactly what Counties Manukau did when the Steelers gave the Magpies a taste of their own medicine. Refusing to take the shot at goal, Counties organised themselves to set up a threatening maul and soon crossed when loose forward Onosai Auvaa reaped the reward for the forwards strong effort. In a complete turnaround, Counties Manukau looked rejuvenated in the second half and the pressure took its toll on Hawkes Bay. A moment of individual brilliance saw Steelers halfback August Pulu turn something out of nothing as he scooped up a loose ball from the base of the scrum then scampered away for a try that was later confirmed by the TMO John Wright. Leading by the slimiest of margins it looked as though all the momentum was with the Steelers, but the challengers wrestled it back when Tongia accounted for the missed opportunity earlier in the match. It looked as though Counties had won possession against the throw but Hawkes Bay launched their attack as All Black fullback Israel Dagg gave the final pass to Tongia to go in and reclaim the lead. Tongias try set up a thrilling finish while Counties had a lengthy period on attack as they desperately aimed to keep the famous Ranfurly Shield in Pukekohe. However, it wasnt to be as Hawkes Bay forced the turnover and West cleared to touch which inevitably sealed the result for the Magpies who take the famous Log o Wood back to Napier. Despite Counties first ever tenure as Ranfurly Shield holders came to end, the historic moment will be sure to spur the Steelers on for more success down the road. In the meantime the ITM Cup continues for the Steelers who will attempt to bounce back against the Manawatu Turbos at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North. The match is next Sunday with kickoff scheduled at 2.35pm. Score Summary. Counties Manukau: 21 (Auvaa, Pulu tries; Tuala 2 pen, Nanai-Williams pen, con) Hawkes Bay: 27 (OConnor 2, Eaton, Tongia tries; West pen, 2 con) As it Happened Minute. Match Detail. Score. 11. Tuala pen. 3-0 17. OConnor try. 3-5 21. Tuala pen. 6-5 28. OConnor try. 6-10 28. West con. 6-12 35. Eaton try. 6-17 38. Nanai-Williams pen 9-17 39. West pen. 9-20 Half time 49. Auvaa try. 14-20 49. Nanai-Williams con. 16-20 60. Pulu try. 21-20 67. Tongia try. 21-25 68. West con. 21-27 Full time.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 05:36:35 +0000
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