Hawke's Bay defeated Southland 36-21 in the NPC on Thursday, extending their recent dominance over the South Island side. The result adds another chapter to a fixture that has seen the visitors pull away in recent seasons.
Southland arrived in need of consistency, having suffered four defeats in their last five matches. The losses came against Tasmann, Manawatu, Otago and North Harbour, with only Waikato providing a brief reprieve on the previous weekend.
Hawke's Bay, by then, were in a different rhythm entirely. Their last five fixtures read 59-17 against Manawatu, 44-31 over Auckland, 50-19 versus Tasmann and 52-33 against Wellington. The only blemish on that run came against Canterbury in October's final round.
and here's the thing — the margin tells you where this game was headed. A fifteen-point victory for the visitors, who have opened talks about pushing for a top-four finish this season.
The scoreline leaves Southland searching for answers after a campaign that has never really got going. Hawke's Bay, meanwhile, have hit their stride and fancy their chances of finishing strongly.