Feather's up for Bay return

It's taken the best part of a decade and a fairly circular route, but Todd Feather will finally play top-level rugby in the Bay of Plenty this weekend.
The only problem? It will be for the opposition.
The Reporoa born and raised first-five shapes as a key figure in Taranaki's NPC ambitions of beating the Steamers at Blue Chip Stadium on Sunday.
He out-played David Holwell last week and kicked 12 points as Taranaki beat Northland 32-8.
But the 27-year-old engineer could just have easily been pulling on a Steamers jersey this season, were it not for a broken foot suffered playing for the Queensland Reds in the Super 12 last year.
"I talked to (Steamers coach) Vern Cotter last year but my injury didn't come right in the time-frame it needed to play NPC rugby so I didn't follow it through," Feather said today.
Instead he took a contract with the Bayonne club in France, drifted back to Taranaki where he'd attended New Plymouth Boys' High and fell into the representative team.
"I was looking to go back over to Europe but I'd had enough of it over there - my injury took a while to come right and I didn't really enjoy it. I had an opportunity to come down here and when you've got an opportunity to play NPC footy and maybe higher, it's something you have to take."
Before his stint with the Reds, Feather spent four years playing in Perth, while working in the oil and gas industry.
He was picked for Super 12 after starring in the 2003 Australian Rugby Shield between Perth Gold and Queensland Country Heelers, but only lasted three games for the Reds before breaking his foot.
His parents still own a farm in Reporoa, although they've recently moved to Taupo, but younger brother brother Mark has taken over and also plays rugby for Marist St Michaels in Rotorua.
Older brother Campbell, the former Hurricanes and Taranaki No8, also came within a whisker of signing for the Steamers last year but opted instead to take up an 11th-hour offer from Irish club Ulster.
Taranaki took a lot of confidence out of the win over Northland, while the Steamers have suffered losses to Otago and Canterbury respectively.
Bay also has a rookie at first-five in Murray Williams, who replaced Glen Jackson when he left for Saracens last year, and Feather said it was an area Taranaki intended targeting on Sunday.
"When you lose a quality player like Glen Jackson who has been running the show and making things happen, it's pretty difficult to replace someone like that.
"But without having a win and being at home, they'll definitely be tougher than normal, and they're normally pretty sharp."
Taranaki have been boosted by the return of Hurricanes loose forward Chris Masoe, who missed the first two games with an eye injury.
"It's been frustrating watching from the sideline. I just can't wait to play," Masoe said.
"I carried the water bottles for the boys against Waikato and there's noting more frustrating than not being able to help out.
"I didn't do it against Northland you're too close to the action. I might be tempted to foot-trip someone."
Masoe said he had been training hard since fracturing his eye socket against Canterbury in a pre-season match.
"My fitness is good. I've been hard out with contact stuff at training this week and I'm feeling confident."
Masoe knows just how difficult Bay of Plenty will be at home.
"They've lost both their games and they will be desperate to beat us. Two years ago, when I broke my arm, I had to watch from the sideline as Bay beat us (Taranaki lost 22-13). It wasn't a good day."