|
Fire within needs matches to salvage Bay season |
|
Written by The doused Fan in the Stand
|
|
Thursday, 20 September 2007 |
At the end of Sunday's game, free posters were handed out showing the Bay players looking staunch beneath the slogan ``The Fire Within''.
Having just seen those same players troop off the park mud-drenched and defeated, it was clear the fire has been well and truly doused.
When the highlight of a game is the referee being tackled to the ground, you know entertainment is in short supply.
It was appropriate that Southland's try came from a bungled kick and that our one scoring chance was a missed penalty from in front of the posts. The contestants in the half-time entertainment should have complained about being asked to kick a goal from the same difficult spot.
The main problem with the Bay conceding a substantial lead is that any sort of concerted pressure in our comeback usually leads to a penalty awarded in the opposition 22.
Now we can take the kick at goal - except we miss the kick. Or put it out in the corner for the lineout and driving maul - except we lose the lineout. The predictable result is maximum effort for zero reward.
Enough! The Fan has ranted for many weeks and can rant no more - it is time to change topic and focus on a winning team.
In case you hadn't noticed, the Rugby World Cup is currently taking place and sitting pretty with two wins from two are mighty Bay of Plenty `B' ... also known as Tonga.
Their squad contains three members of the Shield winning side of 2004, Taufa'ao Filise, Aleki Lutui and the Tongan captain Nili Latu. Filise started for the Bay on the day of the Shield win and although he was a bench-warmer for much of his time here, he was a fearsome ball runner and a good enough prop to be selected for the Blues before being sidelined by injury.
Lutui was also great with ball in hand, reliable as a line-out thrower (for the Bay if not the Chiefs) and a major contributor to our success.
Lutui and Filise arrived in the Bay in 2001 and were transformed into professional players by the training methods of Keith Roberts. It is noticeable how our fitness levels appear to have dropped since Roberts left.
Nili Latu is a Bay hero and all fans would be happy to see him return.
It has been great to watch him lead Tonga to their two victories so far and a win against England will take Tonga into the quarterfinals.
The Tongan Torpedo throws himself into tackles, steals ruck ball and generally hurtles around the track. He does however possess a good rugby brain, hence the Tongan captaincy, and can run and pass with the backs.
The Steamers play at North Harbour on Saturday night. I suspect it will be a titanic battle to prove which team is more useless - a battle we are well equipped to win.
|
News and Opinion 
