Hawke’s Bay grabs first victory in ITM Cup by defeating Southland in second round -Rugby News
Hawke’s Bay stunned Southlanders in the second round of the ITM Cup 2011 by 29-18 in Napier on July 19. Andrew Horrell helped his side by scoring 24 points to secure the first victory in the event.
Hawke’s Bay had previously lost their first match of the event to Manawatu by 32-23. Hawke’s Bay side scored two tries in the match, the first was scored by Chris Eaton and the other by Andrew Horrell.
The Southland side has now lost both matches played in the continuing championship. They have lost their inaugurating game to the Waikato by 19-9 on July 15. They could not work out their poor defence and provided the Hawke’s too many chances to score.
The Southlanders got into the game very nicely and opened their account in the sixth minute of the match as Robbie Robertson kicked a well directed penalty shot into the Hawke’s goals.
It was the right time to shine in the match for Andrew Horrell as he scored a three pointer for the Hawke’s. Later on, he kicked four more penalties and two conversions for his side to end the game in great fashion. Horrell also scored a try in the second-half and helped the Hawke’s with a total of 24 individual points.
The Southland side played comparatively better in the first-half but could not keep up the momentum after the break. Robbie Robinson tried his level best to save his side from a second consecutive defeat in the tournament but he could not get his team’s support. He scored 13 points for his team and only one try was scored other than his scores in the match. John Hardie scored the other try for Southland in the second part of the game.
Overall, it was not a great match to watch as both sides struggled with the grassy conditions of McLean Park. The Hawke’s Bay will take on Otago in their next clash of ITM Cup whereas the Southlanders will face the Canterbury side during the third round of the event.
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