Maybe it's the generous coating of fur on his face at the moment but the Bay Badger has quite a thing for Steamers prop James McGougan.

There's something about the bearded, rugged charm of the big Tauranga Sports frontrower that sends me into a snuffling frenzy and gets Mrs Badger all jealous.

Big Googs, as well as being a damn-fine prop, is also an Eastern Bay boy originally, which is also very appealing.

He's got generous helpings of that Whakatane-in-your-face attitude in his play, a flinty edge and a willingness to mix it up in tight. For all you poofter backs out there, that's a nice way of saying he would rather suck a sackful of eel-bellies than take a backward step.

Who'd have thunk?  The mighty Bay sitting astride the top of the table, two from two, separated from the top of the table Wellington side by a single bonus point?  Not only that, also conceding the least points after the two rounds, and behind again, just Wellington on points for?

Yes, win number two (mwa ha ha ha), a record points spread over Counties, 45-3, a hiding in anyone's books.

The current Bay Steamers adage of “Bay Proud” was certainly on display at the Rotorua International Stadium on Saturday (9 August 2008) - when the Steamers out played and out classed Counties Manukau 45-3, in their second Air New Zealand Cup match of the season.

Going into the contest, most Bay supporters expected their team to win - but the surprise was the dominance displayed by the Steamers through out the encounter.