Hawke's Bay saw off Otago 35-24 in the NPC on Thursday night in a match that lived up to expectations given both sides' attacking form. The hosts put the game to bed early, building a lead that Otago could not recover from despite keeping pace on the scoreboard.
Hawke's Bay came in having won five on the spin, averaging nearly 50 points a game. Their recent run of 36-21, 59-17, 44-31, 50-19 and 52-33 showed a side finding its rhythm. This 35-24 result fits the pattern — they scored freely and defended well enough to keep the margin manageable.
Otago had been similarly potent, with 43-38 against Waikato and 61-22 over Wellington among their results. The only blemish in their recent record was a narrow 15-19 defeat to Canterbury. By then, they'd picked up three wins in four games and had every right to fancy their chances here.
The final scoreline reflects a game where both teams found no answer to the other's attack for long periods. Otago kept knocking on the door but could not pull off a turnaround. The clean-sheet run came to an end for both sides — neither kept a shutout, and neither needed one to win.
Hawke's Bay extend their winning streak to six matches now. Otago's unbeaten sequence comes to an end, and they'll be looking to rebuild before the next round. The table goes out of the window in these games — results like this are what make the NPC compelling.