The Bay as usual was up to it’s wondrous administrative proficiency, as it seemed they underestimated that people would actually turn up to the game and actually purchase tickets.  Which lead to the interesting experience of hearing them say “Sorry we’ve run out of tickets” to then walk over to the VIP area to see the lads sitting in an almost empty section taking up half a row of 24 rows of empty seats.  Which then led one to stroll back and say “What the hell??” To hear them reply “Well yes, we know that there’s vast empty spaces for people to sit in, it’s just that we didn’t print off enough tickets and we’ve run out of them”.  This then led to the thoroughly professional system of ambling to the person on the gate with a note from Mother saying that you could sit in the VIP section with your friends, wonderful, just wonderful.  Luckily the BOP forward pack was a much better system of efficiency and Lutui had already run over the top of Brendon Hamii (incredibly well thought out defensive system from the Naki there, lets put our smallest chap up against the notoriously weak and inefficient 120kg Lutui who isn’t noted at all for his bullocking runs and tendancy to score tries close to the line) to put the Bay 7-0 up by the time I’d found the rest of the lads.

The Bay then proceeded to try and play large phases of the game without the ball, and also at the wrong end of the field.  For their part the Naki did play a quite entertaining and surprisingly expansive game, Austin in particular looking dangerous whenever had had the ball in hand (and not turning it over) but try as they might their well though out plan of throwing the ball around will-nilly away from the traditional strength of their forward pack only reaped 8 first half points.  A Jackson penalty when the Bay actually managed to get hands on the ball and in the Naki’s half putting the Bay ahead at half-time 10-8, admittedly this could have been much more of an advantage to the Bay if Rasmussen had been able to pick up a ball and fall over the line, the Mafia holding heads in hands and berating what could have been a costly mistake.

The second half got off to a unexpectedly brilliant start, with some particularly aggressive running by first McQuoid and then Ormond (who with every game is constantly proving his worth as a class act and powerful ball-runner and tackler, especially in this game where he had to play out of position at open-side after Latu went off) who put away the Bay captain McMillan who conveniently scored in our corner of the ground.  At a 15-8 lead we began to breathe a little easier, but of course the Bay – notorious for making their fans suffer from multiple heart attacks often within a period of 5 minutes or less let Mark Irwin (Now I’m in his territory, he could get reeeeeeeaalllllyyyyy angry if I’m not careful) scored in the corner after a break down the left hand side of the field left the defence stretched.  However the conversion was missed and the Bay held a tenuous 2-point lead.  The Bay then pressed in waiting for the killer punch and despite our traumatic visions of the Naki getting into our territory and kicking the winning penalty goal, Jacko decided to turn down shots at goal and instead run the ball, alas no points are awarded for being held up 10cm short of the tryline.  Jacko then deciding that the Naki not getting caught out the first time would correlate directly to them not getting caught out the second time either, then decided to kick for goal.  Of course the dammed thing hit the posts – and bounced directly in Apoua Stewarts hands, who promptly again got held up a mere gnats fart from the try line…

At about this stage I let out an anguished cry of “Oh, for a match-winning try under the posts.” And then almost fainted when replacement prop Filise barged over from 5 meters out through some limp-wristed defence that would have done the hero parade proud.  Jacko duly kicked the conversion and then it was a mere matter of running the clock down, while we supporters in the stands were screaming things like “Go the clock!!” Even the ref was kind to us and blew the end of the game about a minute early – which is always a relief as every Bay supporter knows a lot can happen in one minute.  Thus we yelled, we screamed, we jumped up and down in great merriment and with stunned disbelief realised that the Bay had an unbeaten home record for 2004, long may it continue. 

For the Bay stand-out players were again the loose trio with Ormond and McMillan having powerful games, Tupai deserves congratulations for a solid game off the bench and for keeping the loose-trio functioning smoothly as a unit when Latu went off with concussion.  The fatties did their stuff, Lutui again having a game packed with powerful running and Filise doing his thing off the bench – which must have been an inspirational sub from Cotter.  Kaui proved his worth on defence with some crucial (and crunching tackles) and McQuoid certainly seems to have found his niche at second-five outside of the tactical genius of Glen Jackson.

The Bay now finds itself in the interesting position of being able to make the semi’s, or alternatively still end up in promotion/relegation danger.  For my money as hard earned as it is, I would say that if the Bay keep their week-to-week consistency up and continue to play the way they are (while making subtle improvements along the way) we can look forward to a credible middle of the table season.