The story of the Bay of Plenty Volcanix' Farah Palmer Cup campaign so far includes a lot of wondering what could have been. A side brimming with potential and a healthy mix of youth and experience has been punished for making slow starts during the first half of the season. They trailed Counties 19-0 before almost making a comeback, against Auckland they trailed 21-0 at halftime and just fell short of a second half comeback. However, a win over Waikato last time out, followed by the bye, has them sitting fifth and ready to make a push for semifinals.The Bay of Plenty Volcanix return from the bye looking to continue their momentum in the Farah Palmer Cup.
The Volcanix play Manawatu in their sixth-round match at Tauranga Domain on Saturday, having chalked up their first win of the season against Waikato in round four.
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Coach Rodney Gibbs still does not have the services of Black Fern Renee Wickliffe for the Manawatu game. She was injured in the game against Auckland in round three. Her replacement Azalleyah Maaka suffered a season-ending injury against Waikato and with some other niggles in the squad, Gibbs says he will finalise the starting team today.The week off gave the players a chance to take a breath before they make a push towards the playoffs. With fixtures against Manawatu and Canterbury remaining, the Volcanix are four points outside the top four.
Senior player Kendra Reynolds, whose barnstorming play was a pillar of the victory against Waikato, says the bye week was good for the team.