Dear Mr. Henry,

I would like to nominate myself to be an All Black on the upcoming end of year tour. Now I know that you have already selected all your players, but perhaps you could make an exception and include me in the team as well.

Well if someone had told me at the start of the season that the Bay would win the Ranfurly Shield and be in the semi finals I probably would have laughed uproariously and thought what a flattering and fine sense of humour/optimistic delusion the person had. 

Lets be honest though, what this team has done this year has exceeded everybody’s expectations (except perhaps their own) and written what has to be said one of the finest chapters in BOP’s rugby history, at least equal with that of 1976.

Comparison’s aside this team has written for itself a number of unique entries into the record books, historic achievements such as long overdue NPC wins over Waikato, Wellington and Otago, making the NPC semi-finals for the first time and most importantly – winning that dammed shield!!

To top it off all we’d need is one or two AB’s to be selected and a hatful of Super 12 players (possibly an historic the Chiefs getting over it’s Waikato bias to be recorded this season as well).

Another game, another heart-stopping victory, 5 wins in a row and now a trip to Christchurch for an NPC semi-final.

There were many Bay fans up at North Harbour and I bet most of them had a sinking feeling for the first 20 minutes as we seemed unable to keep hold of the ball and conceded 2 penalties. Usually we have been fast starters this season and most of us in the stand were taking a pessimistic view, the old “I’ve got a bad feeling about this one!”. Things slowly got better though, culminating in the Bay surprising everyone by kicking for touch instead of goal. With a penalty awarded on the goal line, we went to the backs and as the Harbour backs drifted expecting our usual intricate midfield move, Jacko scooted through a gap and was over behind the posts. Suddenly we were ahead 7-6 and right in the game.