Add the three pre season wins, and seven on the trot for the reborn Steamers.  Odds on that at the TAB pre season would have been worth putting a bob or two on!!

This week though, a massive speed bump for the mighty gold and blues, the other unbeaten team in the NPC, Wellington.  Not Waikato, who have yet to win a match this season...

Northland were beaten in a match that reminded many of the big defence that won games back in 2004.  15-10 against a fired up Northland team, in front of 14,000 odd screaming 'bandwagon jumpers', with passions running high in the far north, hell that score is worth 30-0 any other time!

Again a match that could have seen the Bay comfortably in front, but for some self throat cutting and wrong option taking.  But still enough was done to win, and I am sure the coaching staff will be playing the missed opportunities to the culprits time, and time, and time again, and beating the information into them, the main gist being that if there is an unmarked man outside you, pass the freakin' ball to him you retard...

The pack again stood up and was counted.  Un-heralded locks Retallick and Moore heads down and arse up prociding the grunt for the pack and the ball from lineout time for the blouses.  A solid provincial pairing, and again backed up strongly by Kuka. 

Nice to see James McGougan get onto the score sheet too - giving the starting front row a matched set - they all have tries this season now.  So they can stop looking for five pointers now, and start concentrating on the fun things in life - scrums and rucks n'n mauls...  Cummings-Toone nabbed a double before he was injured too, and David-Perrot has also crashed over this season for points.  So at the moment we have reserve hooker Elmiger needing a five pointer for a unique record I would think at first class level!  His tackle and turnover though, on the Bay line at the end of the Northland game though, which probably saved 5 points was pretty valuable though too...  But he'll score by seasons end, he came bloody close against Harbour.

The backline again mixed brilliance with blindness (see above training methods), and did enough to win the match, and tried real hard to lose it too, but at the end of the day, the score on the board (Miss Ford), was 5 points to the good, and a continuing unbeaten season!  A bit of super glue or something might help a little for the future perhaps.  Or a sound thrashing for each drop afte the game.  Lucky there are no English in the side though eh, it could be mayhem...

Right, players of the match.  A harder one this week to select, with a top battle throughout and pretty much the whole Bay side givign their left testy for the cause.  however, Mike Delany's tackle on Vinakolo to save the day for the Bay (heh), gives him the 3 points, 2 points go to captain fantastic Latimer, and another point for the best halfback in NZ not playing for the All Blacks, Nutbrown.

And, have I remember to mention a certain Dirty Scumbag union nearby has failed to win a match this season...Mooloosers, Ole, Ole Ole, Mooloosers Ole...

The running totals then Miss Ford please...

Latimer 7; Bourke 5; Nutbrown, Delany 4; Pareanga 2; McGoughan, King 1.