It rained on Saturday. It was torrential rain for many hours before the game started. The Fan assumes that the Bay gameplan was adjusted according to the manual of wet weather rugby. Kick for territory, make no mistakes, apply pressure to the opposition and wait for their mistakes.

Yet within minutes of kick-off, the Bay showed that this gameplan was in fact optional as Masaga dropped an easy kick then flicked a pass off the deck that was intercepted. This led to the only try of the game and an Auckland lead that we never looked like overhauling. There appeared to be no set plan at all for the Bay as at various times we tried kicking high or kicking low, then rumbling it up in the forwards or spinning it wide. Passages of good play were followed by basic errors and muddled thinking.

Burleigh was tried at 10 instead of Waenga and he had a few good moments with ball in hand. What was painful for the Fan was the sight of the two best Bay first-fives of recent years on the touchline, Mike Delany with a bottle and Glen Jackson with a flag. They have both shown themselves as masters in wet conditions and both well able to cope with the temperamental Baypark wind. When you see what David Holwell is still doing for Northland, wouldn’t it have been great for Sir Glen to delay his referee’s career by just a few months to deputise for Delany?

Overall Auckland looked the better side although we did threaten to snatch an unlikely victory towards the end of the game. Auckland smashed us up front and once again it was Luke Braid and Tanerau Latimer striving manfully to hold them at bay. Both scrums and line-outs caused stress for the Bay fans, every so often they worked like a dream but mostly they seem to teeter on the point of complete disintegration.

The Fan was impressed with the number of faithful supporters who made the trip to Baypark on such a foul afternoon. Each and every one of you deserves a medal especially the few hardy souls who sat in the uncovered stand. A thumbs-up to the Omanu Surf Club volunteers who were unfailingly cheerful despite being soaked to the skin.

100% of the mascot team were present at kick-off and yet only 50% of the team were visible for the remainder of the game. What happened to the much heralded new mascot? Did the job description not specify that the applicant would have to play Squelchie as well as Steamie? Was there a major wardrobe malfunction? We should be told.

On Friday we head down to New Plymouth to play an improving Taranaki. We always seem to struggle against them and a couple of heavy losses in recent years give the Fan only painful memories of the trip. This is a must-win game if the Bay are serious about a Top Seven finish.