Otago lost 21-15 in a tryless encounter on a damp McLean Park, after the home side led 12-9 at the break.
The match will not linger long in the memory. There was too many errors from both sides and neither team could get any momentum into its game.
A huge amount of the game was played between the two 22m lines and neither team could nab a five-pointer. But it was a game Otago lost rather than Hawkes Bay won.
With every Premiership side beating a Championship side in the seven games in the ITM Cup in the weekend, Otago still sits in second place in the Championship table.
Otago coach Tony Brown said the side had tried hard and gave as good as it got but just made too many errors at the wrong time.
"I think if our guys went and watched the game again they will realise they are 10 to 20 points better than them. But there were just too many wee individual errors, especially in our own half," he said.
"There was a period there for 10 to 15 minutes where we could not get out of our own half. It is an inexperience thing. That will come. But there are a lot of young guys who want to keep playing with the ball and wanting to score a try all the time when it would have been better to have played field position."
Otago was hindered by the ability of the Hawkes Bay forwards to slow much of the visiting side's ruck ball down.
Right at the end, Otago was hot on attack and battered away at the line but came up short.
Brown said in hindsight maybe the better option would have been to move the ball wide but that was easy to say after the game.
Otago almost scored a try on the half-hour mark when Glenn Dickson looked to have crossed after a good run from winger Marshall Suckling.
But a view on the television screen showed Dickson's foot went on the touchline at the same time as he scored.
"That would have given us great momentum going into halftime, putting us in front and grown the confidence in the side. But it was correctly ruled out."
Brown said overall he could not be too upset with the side, especially the way the forward pack muscled up and matched the Hawkes Bay eight.
Flanker Gareth Evans had a fine return to his old home province, and grabbed plenty of turnovers.
He was aided by captain and No 8 Paul Grant while hooker Shota Horie did well in his 50 minutes on the paddock.
Dickson played well, as did Suckling the odd time he got the ball, while his fellow winger Buxton Popoali'i looked dangerous on attack.
Otago fullback Tony Ensor made a couple of errors but Brown said it was all a learning experience for him and he would be better for it.
The side has remained in the North Island and tavelled by bus to Palmerston North yesterday, to prepare for the game against Manawatu tomorrow night.
Prop Liam Coltman took a few hits to the body on Saturday night but should be all right for the game.
Backs Matt Faddes and Michael Collins have travelled with Otago and will come into consideration for the match against Manawatu.
By Shane Hundrell, of Hawkes Bay Today, additional reporting by Steve Hepburn.
ITM Cup
The scores
Hawkes Bay 21
Andrew Horrell 4, Ihaia West 3 pen
Otago 15
Hayden Parker 5 pen.
Halftime: 12-9
