It may have been a gusty spring westerly screaming in over Baypark on Saturday, suggesting sleet and shredding umbrellas, but for the more spiritual, they were the winds of change.

A year ago Bay of Plenty had the worst tight-five in living memory and played with the vigour of road-kill. The union was sliding towards a monumental deficit and support was thinner than an Olympic high-jumper.

Saturday's 38-31 win over North Harbour may not have been completely comprehensive but there was far more significance in the 9200-strong crowd which braved the conditions.

Following on from Rotorua's big turnout the previous week, nearly 3000 schoolkids fronted for the North Harbour game, bribed by cheap tickets and by a home team actually delivering on their promises.

They got to see a Steamers loose-forward trio verging on greatness, with two tries each to No8 Colin Bourke and blindside Solomon King, and the yoke of leadership now sitting steadily on openside Tanerau Latimer's young shoulders.

"There was a period in there where the boys got a bit ahead of themselves and let Harbour come back into the game," Latimer confessed after the match.

"I had to get a bit stuck into them and get their feet back on the ground."

He did, and they did. Even though North Harbour fought back from 28-7 down after an hour to get within three points at 31-28, Bay's composure held firm and Bourke _ in the best form of his life _ capped another classy performance by scoring the winning try.

Even without prop Joe Savage _ who was knocked out just 3mins into the match _ and injured hooker John Pareanga, the understated Steamers pack again performed, giving first-five Mike Delany enough space to create havoc in the Harbour defences.

After a mediocre start to the season with his kicking, Delany also landed all six of his shots at goal for a personal haul of 13 points.

Centre Cory Aporo was a key figure in the second half when Bay turned into the stiff breeze, setting up Bourke's final try by slicing through from inside his own 22 and linking with reserve loosie Luke Braid.

King scored both Bay tries in the first half _ his first points for the union _ by ranging wide and using his strength and speed to power over.

The New Zealand sevens player then departed after halftime with an elbow injury, though he could have kept running all day.

"We're heaps fitter this year and we trained really hard in the off-season," King said.

Zar Lawrence capped a good outing against his former province, albeit with an extremely dubious try _ the Steamers fullback clearly knocked on near the line minutes into the second spell, after Aporo's clean break and clever chip, but the video referee could only rule on his grounding over the line which was fine.

That alone was proof of the change of luck this season which, including preseason, has now brought six wins on the trot. That's what happens when the winds of change are blowing at your back.