Taranaki have claimed this year's National Provincial Championship after fending off a valiant Hawke's Bay to win this afternoon's final in front of their sellout home crowd at Yarrow Stadium.
Around 13,500 packed in to watch the Bulls prevail 22-19 over Hawke's Bay in another typically physical encounter as they managed to stave off the visitors even when their chances for late points went begging.
But the Bulls delivered when it mattered and in the process won their first NPC title since 2014 - and just their second-ever.
“The first word that comes to mind is ‘special’. Seeing how much it means to this province, this community, us as a team. It's pretty special,” Josh Jacomb said.
Taranaki got off to the perfect start, scoring in just the second minute when Meihana Grindlay went over before Daniel Rona backed it up for a 12-0 lead.
But Hawke's Bay came flying back at them in the second half of the opening 40, scoring two tries of their own through Lolagi Visinia and Tom Parsons to snatch a two-point lead.
Josh Jacomb gave the hosts the final say of the first half though with a penalty at the hooter, sending the match to the sheds with a 15-14 scoreline.
Taranaki also scored first in the second half via Adam Lennox before Hawke's Bay again replied through Geoff Cridge but when Lincoln McClutchie missed the conversion, that made it a three point game.
Blues star Stephen Perofeta twice had a chance to give the Bulls some breathing room late with penalty attempts but he couldn't find the mark and so instead it was up to Taranaki's defence to hold on and it barely did, nullifying one last effort from Hawke's Bay with a brutal scrum.
It was heartbreak for the Magpies though, who were looking to win their first-ever provincial title as they continue to rebuild relations with the New Zealand rugby community after their recent Ranfurly Shield drama.
It means former All Black and Hawke's Bay stalwart Brad Weber now leaves Kiwi shores having lost both the Super Rugby final this year with the Chiefs and the NPC final in his 50th appearance for his province.
“We will take the kudos today because we won the final, but I’m looking straight at Brad Weber at the moment, I love that man, would love to see him go away with it," a proud Taranaki coach Neil Barnes said after the whistle.
"But not tonight."
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