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 Charles Baxter is getting married at the end of the year, and fiancee Jonelle Decke knows she has definite competition. It's unlikely she'll feel too threatened by the Rotorua International Stadium turf but Baxter confesses he's started a love-affair with the ground. Every time the Steamers wing has played there, he's scored - a try that is.
Baxter's last outing was on Saturday, when he crossed twice before halftime against Manawatu, before limping off with a leg injury. In 19 games for the Bay, the Tauranga flyer has crossed 10 times, including seven in four matches at Rotorua.
He scored three tries against Hawke's Bay in the promotion-relegation match in 2002, once against Italy in 2003, once against Southland in 2004 (with another disallowed) before his pair at the weekend. "Yeah, I love it here," Baxter mused with a grin. "We're like peas in a pod."
Unfortunately he also gets injured there - against Italy, he hurt his shoulder and played a limited part in the rest of the season, and the bruised thigh he suffered at the weekend has him bracketed forthis week's match against Tasman in Blenheim.
"Someone tackled me, and as he went in, his knee went into my thigh and gave me a dead-leg. As soon as I came in at halftime, it just seized up." But he scored his pair only after he got injured: "I couldn't use the muscle to stop running." Baxter is likely to be bracketed with Hayden Reid at fullback, although Reid is also under an injury cloud after taking a knock when he came on at halftime against Manawatu.
Lock Mark Sorenson is likely to be available after illness kept him out last week, while Tanerau Latimer and Nili Latu are likely to be rotated at openside flanker.
Story and photo with thanks to the Bay of Plenty Times
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