By Doug Laing
The Hawke's Bay Tui have climbed the mountain to make it third time lucky and win promotion to the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) Premiership.
They edged the favourites, the previously unbeaten Otago Spirit, 24-20 in South Otago town Balclutha, in Saturday's Bunnings FPC Championship division final.
It ensured a classic send-off for veteran former Black Fern Emma Jensen. The World Cup winner has now retired at the age of 45, her 57 minutes in the game the last in a career of more than 160 first-class matches.
Credited as having played the first game of women's inter-provincial rugby in 1980, Hawke's Bay had not won any of the silverware since a national women's championship was first played in 1999.
It was 17-17 at halftime. The Tui were then down 17-20 and had just had a try between the posts disallowed because of a double movement, before winning the game in a double act by two of the side's most experienced players.
First, prop Gemma Woods scored a try seven minutes from fulltime, midway between the posts and the sideline.
Then first five-eighths Kristen Cottrell converted the five-pointer. Cottrell was successful from the tee with all three Hawke's Bay tries.
The Otago Spirit, who beat the Tui 44-22 in their first round clash in Hastings, struck back but the ball was spilled with the try line beckoning - and the game was over.
Accepting the Championship division trophy, Jensen, now also a Hawke's Bay Rugby Union board member, was pleased with the performances of a group of young players coming through to carry the Tui into a new era in the top grade.
They had been convincingly beaten by the Manawatū Cyclones in last year's Championship final, and by Otago in 2019, when the score was also 24-20.
They ended the season with five wins from six games, following the initial loss to Otago with victories over North Harbour, Northland, and Taranaki, shared points for a cancelled match against Tasman and a 28-19 semifinal win over Northland.
As anticipated, Otago applied the early pressure but it was Hawke's Bay second five-eighth Jaimee Robin who scored close to the posts, with Cottrell's conversion enabling the travellers to lead 7-0.
Otago battled back to level the scores with a try to centre Cheyenne Cunningham, converted by halfback Georgia Cormick.
Cottrell put the Bay back in the lead at 10-7 with a penalty goal, but it was soon 14-10 to the home side with a try to flanker Leah Miles, again converted by Cormick.
Hawke's Bay's second try, to wing Leilani Hakiwai with Cottrell again kicking the two points to make it 17-14, was a hit to Otago's confidence.
The hosts did claim another penalty to level it up ahead of the break.
The Tui were driven by some impressive tackling in the second half, with a particularly good effort from substitute halfback, 18-year-old Hastings Girls' High School student Kahlia Awa.
She stepped up the pace in a well-judged arrival in the game as Hawke's Bay made it difficult for Otago after halftime, with another penalty goal being their only reward for the rest of the match, against Woods' eventual clincher.
Triumphant coach Blair Cross, speaking on the bus to Dunedin with the team afterwards - where the side had originally hoped to play in the big match arena of the Forsyth Barr indoor stadium - said he was aware beforehand that Otago had not been put under pressure physically earlier in the season.
He'd hoped that if the Tui could "get on top of them" a win was possible.
"We set out to challenge them, and it came off," Cross said.
Hopes were raised when the Tui weathered 15 minutes on defence in the second half without conceding a point, and with Cottrell managing the game well, and a strong performance from centres Jaimee Robin (in her blazer-earning 30th match for Hawke's Bay) and Amelia Pasikala, the side were well-primed to claim the win when the opportunities came.
Cottrell was the player of the match for the team, her nine points taking her to 55 in the six games.
"She put in a really good performance," Cross said. "She took a few knocks, but always came back."
Canterbury beat Auckland 41-14 in the Premiership final in Christchurch, and Cross said the upper grade would be a big step up for Hawke's Bay next season.
Scorers:
Hawke's Bay Tui 24 (Jaimee Robin, Leilani Hakiwai, Gemma Woods tries; Krysten Cottrell pen, 3 con) Otago Spirit 20 (Cheyenne Cunningham, Leah Miles tries; Georgia Cormick 2 pen, 2 con). HT: 17-17.
The winning Hawke's Bay team was: Rakai Tatu-McCafferty, Leilani Hakiwai, Amelia Pasikala, Jaimee Robin, Apryll Green, Krysten Cottrell, Emma Jensen, Kathleen Brown, Laurae Blake, Tamia Edwards, Leah Tuhi, Nina Pineaha, Jannali Ruawai Johnson, Hayley McKay, Gemma Woods. Subs: Jess Bennett, Melanie Te Whaiti, Tuia Edwards, Virginia Edwards, Kahlia Awa, Shaylee Tipiwai, Nicolette Adamson, Danielle Pomare Mackay.
