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Muzza, you're a flamin' ... erm, genius! Fickle Fan's winning feeling |
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Written by The humbled Fan in the Stand
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Thursday, 21 September 2006 |
WHAT a stupid kick!
Barely had the words left the Fan's mouth than Anthony Tahana caught Murray Williams' perfectly weighted crossfield kick and Hayden Reid was scoring a try.
Only minutes before, Williams had tried a kick in a similar position and given possession away softly.
Such is the life of the humble sports fan - just when you are ready to write a player off, he produces a superb piece of skill.
Up to that point Williams mixed the sublime (a searing break) with the awful (bombing the try after that break and a charged down kick for a Counties try).
After Reid's try, Williams could do no wrong and rounded off the game by creating and scoring the bonus point try. Please may this be the confidence boost he needs to take the Bay through to the quarterfinals.
Having seen Delany and Upton decked out in their blazers prior to the game, I did think we would struggle to put Counties away.
The first half confirmed my worst fears but after half-time we scored some tries and actually looked like scoring many more. The Bay appears to be improving game by game and with fingers and toes crossed I am now quietly confident of making the quarterfinals.
A special ovation for the forward pack that dominated Counties in all areas of the game.
The format of the Air New Zealand Cup is disastrous. The reason? People keep asking me to explain it!
The explanation takes too long and my facts are probably wrong. Why do the first round points get carried through for the top teams, yet dropped for the repechage?
Why does the Bay start level again with Manawatu? Why is the word repechage not spelt correctly on the allblacks.com website? Why is the opposition always offside (they do it all day ref) but the Bay never infringes?
Now we move onto that other Bay on Friday night (6.05pm don't forget) and a chance to reassert our dominance over them after that pre-season aberration.
Remember how then Hawke's Bay CEO Ian Condon tried to sabotage our Shield victory by claiming that Colin Bourke's transfer was illegal? The Fan has a long memory and revenge will be sweet if we can send Hawke's Bay back to Napier without a point and with a sound hiding.
Five reasons to be cheerful:
- Pareanga and Rameka growing into their roles to replace Lutui and Upton.
- Fireworks at the start of the games - creates a nice glow on a cold night.
- Sorenson will start for the Chiefs. Surely Mr Foster?
- A four-try bonus point, a rare event in recent times.
- Simms Davison chip kicking into the corner, who said props have no skills?
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