The bench of the Hawke’s Bay Magpies proved to be a bridge too far for North Harbour as the white-and-blacks stormed Albany in the last minutes of their NPC opener.

The Magpies’ 41-32 win was hugely satisfying, given the position last season’s finalists found themselves in early.

At 12-0 to Harbour early in the first half the upset was on, and despite punch and counterpunch, the lead wasn’t bridged until the very end.

Harbour’s power-packed back three, led by All Black hopeful Shaun Stevenson, torched their opposites on the counterattack for the first 60 minutes, scoring five tries – most of them long-range and eye-catching – in a fast and open example of Sunday afternoon rugby.

But the Magpies’ depth and fitness shone through when hope looked lost.