Well, there you go, another season started, and a bloody win!  Yes, a win over Tasman to keep things rolling.  Four from four in first class rugby this season, what more could you ask (note the first class thing, who remember that 'other Bay' game first up this season...

Game played in conditions more suitable for Olympic swimming, and the Bay adapted much better, led from the front by 'Snapper' Pareanga and his two propping mates, Joe Savage and James McGougan.

Great to see the two bookends giving their Super 14 and Maori All Black opposites lessons, at both set piece play and around the field.  First jobs first for the low numbers, and that is hitting rucks and mauls, scrums, lineouts, and carting the ball up to set up play.  And that carting should be at first or second receiver close to the rucks and mauls, not out in the midfield, committing opposing loose forwards and close in defence before shifting the ball wide.

So hats off to the front row - Pareanga the best game I have seen him play for many a year, I thought the loss of Cummings-Toone would be felt, but the more expereinced Pareaanga doing well - pressure bringing out the best in him.  Between he and C-T, they now have four tries from hooker in the last 3 games!  Add in a couple of tries to the props in these games, (Savage v Waikato and Arden v Manawatu), and the front rankers are on fire.  Warms the cockles of your heart that does.

The second row.  They have stepped up.  To be fair, I thought they were both crap last season - Moore and Retallick.  But they both stepped up to the mark last night, and have done so all season to date.  What a difference a year makes - Retallick more mature and comfortable at the top level now, and Moore playing with the ability we know he has, and last showed for the Bay in that season of 2004...

Loose forwards, Bourke on fire again, his added kicking game something that the ELV's just love (and the All Blacks would too - imagine Zinzan Brooke playing under ELV's, he would have been even better).  King and Braid busy all night too - Braid not wuite looking up to speed last night, but then, he is just a pup, and we have Maori All Black Latimer to come back into the fold yet.  The young fella will get better.

Jamie Nutbrown.  If he is not better than that Moa fella from Auckland, that was training with the All Blacks, then I will eat that hat I had to take off earlier.  He has been controlling the Bay games from 9 this season.  Great box kick (Andy Ellis, want a lesson or three here mate?), sniping runs close to the breakdowns, beating the close in fatties, and a generally sharp pass.  G Henry, hope you jotted down his name in your notebook last night...

The rest of the blouses with the double digits on their backs.  Last nights swimming match not really their cup of tea.  But stand outs, for good or bad were Delany at first five and then at fullback.  He is a slippery little bugger, and fast, so great for those dabs when their are stranded forwards in the defensive line.  Also good boot in general play, but needs to sharpen his sights in the goal kicking department, he has been kack this season, despite what the BoP press releases have been saying!

Nigel Hunt at second five showed up with some robust defence, some nice spot hits, great to see - shades of 2004 with Rua Tipoki kamikaze-ing into opponents! 

Little Lance MacDonald was full of enterprise too, almost grabbing a try and going full out for 80 minutes.

All the backs went OK in very trying conditions, although...  Catching the high ball is a skill that needs to be drilled in this week at training.  In particular, Zar Lawrence.  That is all I will say about Zar, as I don't like bagging my own players, so I won't talk about his awful tactical kicking, or his butter fingers under the high ball, or anything like that at all.  He knows, and will be working like hell to put in a better effort next week!!

Moment of the match, when a Bay winger (I think, missed his number) went sliding to go down on a kicked through ball, and he pulled up short - left sitting on his arse reaching out for the ball, which was just out of his grasp!  Fortune favours the brave though, and it did not cost the Bay any points!  But bloody funny all the same!!

So an 'A' for effort, a 'B' for execution, and an 'A+' for results for this weeks game.  My three players of the match this week.  3 points Nutbrown, 2 points Pareanga, 1 point Delany.

Oh, and the match result, an 8-7 slosh.

Points are on the board, Miss Ford, let the season role!