Tuesday, 27 July 2010
THE Bay of Plenty Steamers continued their winning ways at Whakatane’s Rugby Park on Friday with a 27-24 win over Taranaki.
It was the Steamers’ final pre-season match ahead of the ITM Cup and their third consecutive win in the Eastern Bay.
But the momentum started with the visitors after they rocked the Steamers with two early tries to take a 14-0 lead. The first came from a Taranaki penalty deep in Steamers territory and they caught the home team napping.
After a quick tap, the ball went through the backline where Hurricanes’ excitement machine David Smith scored in the corner.
Taranaki doubled their lead when a clearing kick didn’t find touch and winger Andre Taylor waltzed through some meagre Steamers’ defence to dot down under the posts.
But the Steamers showed some mettle to absorb the pressure and forced their way back into the game.
The loose trio of Luke Braid, Tanerau Latimer and Solomon King worked well with the tight five and they closed the gaps in the defensive line.
After a couple of backline moves came unstuck, the Steamers had their first try when Latimer broke through and offloaded to first-five Dan Waenga and he went in under the bar.
Taranaki replied with a penalty but by this stage the Steamers were putting multiple phases together and were rewarded with four close-range tries to John Pareanga, Lance MacDonald, Chad Tuoro and Grant McQuoid.
Waenga did not have great day with the boot, converting just one of the five tries. Going into the break, the Steamers had all the momentum with a 27-17 lead.
The crowd of 1000 only saw one try in the second half as Steamers’ coach Sean Horan and Taranaki coach Colin Cooper made plenty of changes to give the full squad a run.
Smith scored his second try for Taranaki when he scooped up a loose pass on his own 22 and ran unopposed to the line.
Whakatane’s James McGougan made his return from a lengthy injury break and put in a solid shift in the front row and he was elated to be back on the pitch.
“That was awesome – the lungs are burning but it was good to get out there. I think it is the most nervous I have been.,” he said.
McGougan’s back problems have hampered his season. After an on and off again season with the Chiefs, bulged discs meant he was unable to play the full campaign.
The injury continued into the club season and was so bad that he had concerns about his career. But the efforts of rehab came to fruition on Friday.
“I was a bit rusty but I got my hands on the ball quite a bit which is great. I am a bit sore but nothing to worry about. It is difficult to come off the bench into the front row.
“Just to carry on what they have already done, it is hard. I struggled a bit there but I am just stoked to be back,” McGougan said.
The win was the third in pre-season after beating Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay.
The Bay begin the ITM Cup against Waikato in Hamilton on Friday and will be keen to emulate the start they had last season when they knocked over Northland, Counties, Wellington and Waikato in the first four weeks.
They lost 29-14 to Auckland before the high point of the season – beating Canterbury 19-17 at Mount Maunganui. After topping the table in the early rounds the Steamers went on to lose five of their last seven matches and finish seventh.