Mark Sowman

"East Coast has been waiting for us," Hawke's Bay manager Mark Sowman said."It's the local derby because there are so many with interests in both camps."The other ambition of the Bay team is to score a bonus point in every match – and the only team they failed to do that against last year was East Coast.Lock Mark Atkinson and No 8 Mutu Ngaurimu are likely to be back.

"The aim was to get the five points," says manager Mark Sowman."At times it wasn't pretty because we let Marlborough come back at us, but there were only seven players in the side who were there last year.And the aim this week is to get another five points."

Manager Mark Sowman says no, but he does admit that while last week's score was satisfactory – the performance was not."The lineout was good, the scrum not quite so good, we didn't dominate them like last time.We need to tighten up a bit," Sowman said.Hawke's Bay won the round robin match with Counties-Manukau 50-21, "but we were very focused in that match," Sowman said.

"It all counts for diddly-squat now," manager Mark Sowman said."There's a small injury problem with No 6 Matt Bird, who has a neck twinge, but if he doesn't make it there's a pretty good replacement in Cantab Matt Mustchin, on loan to the Bay.Mustchin wanted match play to help him challenge for a Crusaders Super 12 spot.
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And while our scores might have been convincing, some of our play hasn't been," said Sowman.

"No-one comes in if they're not invited," manager Mark Sowman says.There's no rumour of an invite going down the line to Manawatu.

Manawatu (20pts, 2nd)

"The camp was very constructive, the only ones who missed ere the odd farmer who couldn't get their chips or McDonalds," joked manager Mark Sowman.

Manager Mark Sowman says the side is wary of Nelson Bays, at Trafalgar Park because Nelson's ground has not always been a happy hunting ground for Hawke's Bay.