Wallaby among try-scorers as Hawke’s Bay maintain unbeaten start

Capped Wallaby Darby Lancaster scored his first provincial try in Hawke’s Bay colours on Friday evening, helping the Magpies continue their unbeaten start to the NPC season with a 59-17 blitz of Manawatu at McLean Park.

Hawke’s Bay have emerged as the competition front-runners as the NPC regular season nears its halfway point, with the Napier-based outfit the last team standing with an undefeated record through four rounds.

The Magpies piled on the points with big wins over Wellington, Tasman and Auckland, and improved their season points difference to +105 with another strong result against Manawatu. It was their second home match of the 2026 campaign.

Lancaster got on the scoresheet in the comprehensive 42-point triumph, as Hawke’s Bay ran in nine tries. The Australian international debuted in the famous black and white hoops against Auckland last week, before scoring his maiden NPC try against the Turbos.

The full-time score points to a dominant performance by the Magpies, but the visiting Turbos were well and truly in the fight at the break. It was a five-point ball-game as the teams made their way into the sheds, with Rory Woods and Taniela Filimone scoring for Manawatu.

Woods opened the scoring just three minutes in, but it didn’t take the hosts long to hit back, with Kianu Kereru-Symes next to strike in the ninth minute. But tries to Hunter Morrison and Nic Benn just before the break saw Hawke’s Bay take a 17-12 lead.

But the second-half was one-way traffic. Morrison completed a double early in the half, before a yellow card against Manawatu’s TK Howden around the 60-minute mark. Hawke’s Bay made the most of their one-man advantage, putting up 21 unanswered points in that period.

Hawke’s Bay charged forward with a rolling maul, but it was Lancaster who popped up with the ball. Lancaster received a handoff off the deck, then powering through a tackle attempt for a decisive five-pointer.

Joe Apikotoa, Hadlee Hay-Horton and Valentino Taito got on the scoresheet afterwards, as the Magpies ran away with a big result at Napier’s McLean Park. Manawatu hit back through Hunter Kennedy with five to go, but the hosts still had the final say through Anaru Paenga-Morgan.

Hawke’s Bay are the only side with a perfect 4-0 record, but there are many teams one win back with either 2-1 or 3-1 starts. Northland sit in second ahead of Saturday’s slate of matches, having brought an end to their Ranfurly Shield drought against Canterbury on Thursday.

“Pretty emotional, man,” Northland captain Rivez Reihana said post-game on Sky Sport.

“We spoke about it at the start of the week, we wanted to inspire the next generation, and the only way that we were going to do that was to bring back the Shield. Hopefully we’ve done that.

“Canterbury, they’re the top side for a reason and we knew we had to bring our A-game.

“What I’m most proud of is the effort areas that we showed on our defence. It’s awesome to see.”