Rugby: Steamers notch first win of season

The Bay of Plenty Steamers have tasted success for the first time this season. Pictured is Steamers player Solomona Sakalia (with ball) in action against North Harbour yesterday. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Bay of Plenty Steamers turned on a fine second half display against North Harbour to register their first victory of the season.

The Steamers trailed 14-10 at halftime but defended well in the second half to win 21-14 at Rotorua International Stadium yesterday.

The Steamers had lost their opening four ITM Cup games going into the match, and were also playing their third match in eight days.

Steamers coach Kevin Schuler said it was a great reward for the players to register a win.

"It has been a tough couple of weeks starting off so it is great for the boys to get a reward for all the hard work they have been putting in," he said. "We have been looking for a good change in our D, it has really been letting us down, and it was good to see we had numbers across the paddock and really took the fight out of them in that regard."

The first points of the game yesterday should have come inside the opening two minutes, when Steamers first five-eighth Te Aihe Toma missed a penalty close to the sticks.

North Harbour goal kicker Matt McGahan then missed three penalties of his own to keep the scores locked at 0-0 after 18 minutes.

The game finally jumped into life when North Harbour forced a turnover before spreading it wide, with James Parsons scoring in the corner. The Steamers hit back shortly after when they found themselves deep in North Harbour's 22m.

Steamers prop Mike Kainga barged over from close range to score his third try of the season.

Nic Evemy added a penalty for the Steamers, before North Harbour had the final say of the half.

Harbour released big man Greg Pleasants-Tate in a bit of space, who scored in the corner on the stroke of half time.

North Harbour went into the sheds with a 14-10 lead.

After the break, the Steamers got straight to work scoring an impressive try.

They made a break up the middle before shifting it through the hands. Fullback Leroy Van Dam finished off the try out wide on the right.

Evemy showed his skills with the boot shortly after, when he kicked a 46m penalty to push the Steamers lead out to 18-14.

The Steamers were put under the pump midway through the second half but defended their line well, receiving plenty of applause from the home crowd.

The Steamers won another penalty towards the back end of the game and pushed out to a seven-point lead.

North Harbour had a chance to score with two minutes remaining but the Steamers defence stood tall again, earning a turnover.

As the clock ticked down the Steamers managed to hold on and claim their first win of the season.

Coach Schuler said they were simply giving Culum Retallick, who came off the bench to help secure the win, a bit of a rest yesterday.

Scores

Bay of Plenty Steamers: 21 (Mike Kainga, Leroy Van Dam tries; Nic Evemy con, 3 pen). North Harbour: 14 (James Parsons, Greg Pleasants-Tate tries; Matt McGahan 2 con).