Hawke's Bay have kept their national provinicial championshp quarter-final hopes alive with a 25-17 victory over Tasman at a rain-sodden McLean Park in Napier.
Entering the last round of regular-season play, the Magpies were level with Otago for the fourth and final playoff spot from their conference, desperately needing a bonus-point win to promote their cause.
Fifteen unanswered points midway through the match provided the buffer they required to emerge victorious, setting up an intriguing scramble for the post-season.
The Magpies wasted no time stamping their intent on the contest, capitalising on an early error to launch a patented lineout drive that carried hooker Tyrone Thompson across in the opening minutes.
Fullback Taine Robinson steadied the Mako's nerves with a penalty, but Bay extended their lead, when second-five Danny Toala placed a pinpoint crosskick into the arms of winger Neria Fomai, who had space to score in the corner.
Crucially, first-five Lincoln McClutchie - in his 50th game for his province - could convert neither try, which allowed Tasman to draw level, when second-five Alex Nankivell sent winger Macca Springer down the sideline with a long pass and halfback Noah Hotham loomed inside to score, converted by Robinson.
But on the stroke of halftime, the homes side reclaimed the advantage, when No.8 Devan Flanders ran hard from a close-range scrum and flanker Marino Mikaele-Tu'u was next cab off the rank, catching out back-pedalling defenders for a try, converted by McClutchie.
Ahead 17-10 at the break, Bay went further ahead soon after the restart, when Flanders broke over halfway to start a move that provided Fomai with his second try of the night.
Tasman dominated a period midway through the second half, bringing All Blacks speedsters Sevu Reece and Leicester Fainga'anuku off the bench to boost their firepower, but could not capitalise. Centre Levi Aumua was denied a try, when he was deemed to knock on, then first-five Willie Havili missed a penalty from directly in front of the posts.
With 10 minutes remaining, McClutchie slotted a penalty that steadied the ship for Hawke's Bay, putting them beyond two converted tries of their rivals, before the Mako managed a consolation try, when Reece broke from behind his own goal-line and replacement loose forward Viliami Napa'a capped a length-of-the-field effort.
"Really proud of the boys stepping up out there, especially on a night like this," said Magpies captain Tom Parsons. "We knew they'd come hard up the middle of the field - it's a strength of theirs - and I'm really proud of the boys that they got up and put pressure on them."
The result puts Hawke's Bay level with Waikato for third in the conference and must now await the outcome of Otago's home game against top-of-the-table Canterbury on Sunday. Anything less than a bonus-point win would now see the southerners fall short of the playoffs.
If Waikato lose to Bay of Plenty, Otago can force a three-way countback for the final two quarter-final spots, where they hold a head-to-head edge over both the Moolos and Magpies, after beating them in the regular season.
Waikato and Bay drew their season-opening clash, but the former lost to Otago by seven points, the latter by only five.
If Waikato can manage at least a bonus point against the Steamers, Otago can still finish level with Hawke's Bay and would progress on the basis of their earlier win.
Meanwhile, Tasman still hold the fourth spot in the other conference, but only two points clear of Northland, who host winless Manawatū in the far north town of Kaikohe.
Hawke's Bay 25 (Fomai 2, Thompson & Mikaele-Tu'u tries; McClutchie conversion & penalty) Tasman 17 (Hotham & Napa'a tries; Robinson penalty & conversion, Havili conversion)
