FIVE crucial points banked - and the Steamers continue to thrill their long-suffering fans.

Last night in Rotorua, they let slip a 19-point second-half lead over Otago before sealing a 40-30 win in a frenetic last few minutes.

It lifted Bay of Plenty into the top-seven on 26 points with four matches to play, but the performance - mixing equal parts brilliance with borderline incompetence - thoroughly frustrated first-five Mike Delany.

"It's just not good enough," Delany admitted. "We were forcing too many passes, we fell asleep, went a bit quiet and went away from our game plan of getting into good territory and playing sensible rugby.

"The forwards did really well and gave us great ball but as backs, we've got to sharpen up our skills and drop those errors."

On another horrible, rainy night for rugby, the attacking intent on display from both sides was surprisingly good and it took just 5 mins for electric Bay wing Lelia Masaga to score his seventh try of the season.

From a scrum, No8 Colin Bourke fed halfback Taniela Moa who grubbered through on halfway. Masaga regathered, chipped Otago fullback Ben Smith and outpaced the cover to slide in.

Delany added the conversion and within 10mins, the home side were in again. Otago muffed a kick out on the full and the subsequent lineout through went long where Bay second-five Phil Burleigh made heavy inroads.

Several phases later, Bay won a penalty, Moa tapped and passed wide to Luke Andrews who put Burleigh over in the corner.

Otago struck back soon after when first-five Glenn Dickson broke into the Bay 22 and put prop Halani Aulika into space. Aulika's  pass found lock Hayden Triggs  to gallop in for the try, with Dickson's conversion making in 12-10.

Delany and Dickson traded penalties, before Masaga created Bay's third try with another slick break, finished when prop Josh Hohneck was driven over for his first points in blue and gold.

Otago kept in touch with another Dickson penalty but the Steamers had their four-try bonus point with 3mins left in the first half, again defying the horrendous conditions with some slick inter-passing.

Luke Braid grabbed another turnover, fed hooker John Parenaga playing his 50th game, then Cullum Retallick found Bourke who stepped three tacklers and crossed, bringing up 100 points for the province. Delany converted to make the halftime score 29-16.

The lead was luxurious enough for Steamers skipper Bourke to be subbed off early in the second half, giving Solomon King the chance to get some game time for the first time in nearly two months.

Delaney added another two penalties including a boomer from 52m early in the second half and at 35-16 it looked as if Otago were dead and buried. But the southerners came back with two tries in 12 minutes as Bay of Plenty  tried to ride the game out.

Substitute wing Chris Small benefited from a Josh Tatupu breakout to dot down for fellow replacement Chris Noakes to convert.

All Black Ben Smith - who'd switched from fullback to first-five - then sliced through three tackles in a superb 30m run to score. Noakes converted to bring the score to 35-30 and set the stage for a thrilling finish.

But Bay of Plenty pushed upfield from the re-start and their powerful scrum did the rest, when King  burst off the back of a scrum and crossed from 20m out.
Pareanga  was given the conversion chance but just sliced the kick from wide out across the front of the uprights.

The Steamers now have a six-day turnaround before playing Wellington in the Capital next Thursday.