The Bay of Plenty Steamers beat Wellington 33-26 at Porirua Park on Saturday to secure a home quarter-final spot.
The Bay of Plenty Steamers beat Wellington 33-26 at Porirua Park on Saturday to secure a home quarter-final spot.
With Tauranga Domain set to host knockout rugby this weekend, Bay of Plenty Steamers coach Richard Watt hopes the local crowd will turn up in force.
The Steamers clinched a home quarter-final in the 2025 Bunnings NPC after finishing third in the round-robin standings.
The team capped off their regularseason with a gutsy 33-26 comeback win over Wellington.
That result — combined with Sunday’s final round outcomes — confirmed Bay of Plenty will host Tasman in a knockout clash this Saturday at Tauranga Domain, with a 4.10pm kickoff.
It marks a return to playoff rugby in front of home fans for the Steamers, who surged into the top four with 36 competition points from 10 matches.
They sit behind Canterbury (42) and Otago (41), with Hawke’s Bay (35), Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato and Counties Manukau rounding out the top eight.
Saturday’s quarter-final will be a key test for a Bay of Plenty side buoyed by their remarkable fightback against defending champions Wellington in Porirua.
Down 21-0 after 28 minutes, the Steamers rallied with 33 unanswered points to claim their most significant win of the season — and avenge last year’s heartbreaking extra-time NPC final loss to the Lions.
Head coach Richard Watt said the message at halftime was simple: win and look after the ball.
Bay of Plenty Steamers head coach Richard Watt. Photo / Brydie Thompson
“We weren’t building phases. We’d go two or three and then cough it up,” Watt said.
“At halftime, I said, ‘We’re going to see what your character is now.’ And they delivered.”
While flanker Joe Johnston remains under an injury cloud after taking a knock to the knee, the rest of the squad has come through unscathed and is now focused on recovery and preparation for Saturday.
The Steamers returned to Tauranga late on Saturday night and have been training with the certainty of both their opponent and the date now locked in – a relief, Watt admitted, after the scheduling uncertainty of earlier in the week.
With Tauranga Domain set to host knockout rugby this weekend, Bay of Plenty Steamers head coach Richard Watt hopes the local crowd will turn up in force. Photo / Bay of Plenty Rugby Union
“Trying to plan training when you don’t know if you’re playing Friday, Saturday or Sunday is awkward,” he said.
“But the boys now know what’s ahead of them.”
Watt, a former Wellingtonian himself, said the win over the Lions held extra significance given Bay of Plenty’s historical struggles against them – and last year’s final still fresh in the team’s mind.
“To go down there and do a number on them, especially coming from where we were in the first half, it just showed the heart this group has.
“It’s the business end of the season now – we’re proud to be back home, and we want to make it count.”
