NPC talking points: More than a semifinal spot on the line for maligned Magpies

Stuff

05 October 2023

NPC talking points: More than a semifinal spot on the line for maligned Magpies

Not that the arrival of four tasty quarterfinals is behind the peak in interest. No, that would be Hawke’s Bay wrecking the Ranfurly Shield during an all-night party last weekend.

Cue the glut of opportunists who had seldom thought of the competition this year, but couldn’t miss the chance to draw their bows.

Hawke’s Bay boss Jay Campbell sure has been in demand since news broke of the busted Log o’ Wood on Sunday, the same morning a Magpies player, who has since been charged with drink driving, allegedly crashed into a Napier property owner's fence.

And credit to Campbell, who has repeatedly fronted this week, not shying away from the drama and insisting he wanted answers as much as anybody.

That starts with claims drugs were snorted from the surface of the shield, which is the focus of the independent investigation launched by New Zealand Rugby.

There’s no time frame for the investigation, but Campbell has vowed to come down on any Magpies player proven to have indulged in drug taking with an iron fist.

As for the actual damage to the shield, Hawke’s Bay maintains it was dropped by a roughly 2-metre tall player on to a concrete kitchen floor, landing on its end and splitting in half.

Repairer James Dwan was due to get his hands on it on Thursday, before determining whether a new slab of timber would be required or if it could be glued.

Regardless, with cultural processes also set to take place post repair, Hawke’s Bay will be denied the usual opportunities within the community that come with holding the Log o’ Wood over summer.

Easily forgotten in this schemozzle is the fact Hawke’s Bay have a quarterfinal, against Bay of Plenty in Tauranga on Sunday, to play.

In a match which doubles as another Battle of the Bays, don’t be surprised if Tauranga locals get stuck into the Magpies, too.

“The tide has now turned, and these guys need to actually front and put in a performance for the team that is worthy, to show that they don't actually disrespect our community,” Campbell said of the match.

The missing red and black wall

No prizes for guessing what Canterbury made a focus at training this week.

Having conceded 271 points during the regular season, more than any other playoff team, their defence has been a far cry from the standard typically delivered by the red and blacks.

Pivot Fergus Burke labelled it “majorly frustrating” ahead of Friday night’s quarterfinal against Auckland in Christchurch, admitting the team was searching for answers after coughing up 37 tries in 10 games.

Compare that to reigning champions and top-seeds Wellington, who conceded just 22 tries and 148 points and host Waikato on Saturday afternoon.

"I wish I could tell you the answer...it's extremely frustrating. We kind of pride ourselves on being a lot better than that and the cliché is you've got to be strong defensively to win championships. As players, we've got to have a shift with our mindset and really front up this week and make it personal,” he said.

Including last week’s 37-35 defeat to Waikato, Canterbury conceded more than 30 points in four matches, and only finished third in the regular season due to their ability to rack up plenty of points of their own.

But, chasing their first provincial crown since 2017, head coach Marty Bourke made it clear it was time for their defence to stiffen.

“For a while, all the same things were happening over and over again. When we delved into it, it wasn't so much the skillset or the systems, it was more the mindset of the individual at that key time, what they are seeing, hearing or thinking.

“We've had a real emphasis this week on trying to tidy some of that stuff up. I think it's one of those age-old sayings that defence wins championships. Attack gets you there, but defence wins it for you."