Conditions, Turbos awful

The 41 points the Manawatu Turbos gifted to Bay of Plenty were way too many in the wet, atrocious conditions Mt Maunganui served up last night.

For paid players, losing by 41-13, six tries to one, in the swamp, was not good enough. The conditions were soft and so was the Turbos' tackling and their mental and physical states whenever the Steamers got a few drives going.

But such is the wayward nature of this team they might come out and topple Auckland in a week's time, at home of course, and if their minds are on the job.

They don't front for away games – they've conceded a mammoth 153 points in three away games – and they're not French or Italian!

Coach Dave Rennie emerged looking as gloomy as the Eastern Bay weather. He offered no excuses but must wonder what formula he needs when his team can snuff out Wellington five days earlier.

The Steamers had had only a six-day turnaround and had to endure the 7.1 Canterbury earthquake too. Rennie has a swag of injured players but the Steamers had a few too.

This was a game which could have finished 3-all, and that was indeed the score for 24 minutes. The galoots even played a curtainraiser beforehand as the rain surged in off the sea and the wind whirled.

The Turbos of the past five years have never played in such weather, and it showed. But any team knows they must adapt to the slop and the forwards must front. Hamish Gosling and Karl Haitana did play their guts out.

BOP have had all their home games in the wet, although nothing as dreadful as last night's. Surprisingly, people braved the murk and paid to watch.

The rain was so heavy it was all but impossible to see the players from the press and coaches' boxes.

In the old days the ball would've been heavy and the ground mud. Last night, BOP first five Mike Delany slotted a penalty kick down-breeze from 53 metres.

The Turbos just didn't front and counter BOP's pick-and-go drives nor their rolling mauls. From 3-all and parity the Steamers rolled in for three tries with minimal effort, a Delany grubber snaring the third; up 20-6 at halftime in such foul weather and it was turn off the taps.

Mistakes were fatal, like Isaac Thompson missing touch from a penalty and Shannon Paku, who had a night he'll wish to forget, failing to trap a ball with his foot. BOP scored from the subsequent scrum.

A desperate Craig Clare tackle saved halfback Chad Tuoro from running over under the posts. But after an hour when BOP rolled on five subs at once, at 34-6, there was no respect left for the Turbos.

Nearing the end Bertus Mulder scored, Casey Stone did a Francisco Bosch off his swede and there were interminable scrum re-sets. But they were almost an irrelevant sideshow after the impotent defence which preceded them.

New prop Donal McNamara appeared to shore up the scrum, Aaron Smith was busy coping with rumpty ball and centre Hadleigh Parkes would be worth a contract for next year.

But surely the Turbos wouldn't dare put home fans through such agony at FMG.

Who played for Manawatu? 15 Craig Clare, 14 Shannon Paku, 13 Hadleigh Parkes, 12 Frankie Bryant (captain), 11 Lote Raikabula (Casey Stone 61), 10 Isaac Thompson (Asaeli Tikoirotuma 64), 9 Aaron Smith (Karl Bryson 64); 8 Mitchell Crosswell (Bertus Mulder 63m), 7 James Oliver, 6 Hamish Gosling, 5 Reece Robinson, 4 Michael FitzGerald (Fraser Stone 54), 3 Karl Haitana, 2 Sean O'Connor (Rob Foreman 54), 1 Shane Kingsland (Donal McNamara 54).

Scorers: Bay of Plenty 41 (Tristan Moran 2 24m, 28m, Cory Aporo 33m, Lelia Masaga 44m, Culum Retallick 54m, Grant McQuoid 76m, tries; Mike Delany pen, 2 con; Colin Bourke, Daniel Waenga, cons) Manawatu 13 (Bertus Mulder try 72m; Craig Clare con; Isaac Thompson 2 pen) HT 20-6.

Pens awarded: M14 BOP7. Lineouts won: M6 BOP 8. Lineouts lost: M1 BOP2.

Next game: v Auckland, Friday, Sept 17, FMG Stadium.

- © Fairfax NZ News