Steamers nearly slip up in the rain

Five crucial points banked - but the Steamers continue to thrill their long-suffering fans.
Last night in Rotorua, they let slip a 19-point second-half lead over Otago before sealing a 40-30 win in a frenetic last few minutes.
It lifted Bay of Plenty into the top-seven, albeit for now, but mixed equal parts brilliance with borderline incompetence, frustrating first-five Mike Delany.
"It's just not good enough," Delany admitted. "We were forcing too many passes, we fell asleep, went a bit quiet and went away from our game plan of getting into good territory and playing sensible rugby.
"The forwards did really well and gave us great ball but as backs, we've got to sharpen up our skills and drop those errors."
On another horrible, rainy night for rugby, the play on display from both sides was surprisingly good and it took just five minutes for electric Bay wing Lelia Masaga to score his seventh try of the season.
From a scrum, No 8 Colin Bourke fed halfback Taniela Moa who grubbered through on halfway. Masaga regathered, chipped Otago fullback Ben Smith and outpaced the cover to slide in.
Delany added the conversion and within 10 minutes, the home side were in again. Otago muffed a kick out on the full and the subsequent lineout through went long where Bay second-five Phil Burleigh made heavy inroads.
Several phases later, Bay won a penalty, Moa tapped and passed wide to Luke Andrews who put Burleigh over in the corner.
Otago struck back soon after when first-five Glenn Dickson, who'd kicked an early penalty, broke into the Bay 22 and put prop Halani Aulika into space. Aulika's classy no-look pass found lock Hayden Triggs ranging wide to gallop in for the try, with Dickson's conversion making in 12-10.
Delany and Dickson traded penalties, before Masaga created Bay's third try with another slick break, finished when prop Josh Hohneck was driven over for his first points in blue and gold.
Otago kept in touch with another Dickson penalty, but the Steamers had their four-try bonus point with 3mins left in the first half, again defying the horrendous conditions with some slick inter-passing.
Luke Braid grabbed another turnover, fed hooker John Parenaga playing his 50th game, then Cullum Retallick found Bourke who stepped three tacklers and crossed, bringing up 100 points for the province. Delany converted to make the halftime score 29-16.
Steamers skipper Bourke was subbed off early in the second half, giving Solomon King the chance to get some game time.
Delany stretched the lead with two penalties, then centre Josh Tatupu crashed through midfield and sent replacement Chris Small over. Chris Noaks added the conversion from out wide with 15mins left and with just 5 minutes left, Otago finally got their shambolic lineout working.
All Black Ben Smith - who'd switched from fullback to first-five - sliced through three tackles in a superb, carving 30m run to score next to the posts.
It was left to King to salvage the day for the Steamers when he burst off the back of a scrum and crossed from 20m out.
The Steamers now have a six-day turnaround before playing Wellington in the Capital next Thursday.
Result: Bay of Plenty 40 (Lelia Masaga, Phil Burleigh, Josh Hohneck, Colin Bourke, Solomon King tries; Mike Delaney 3 pen, 3 con) Otago 30 (Hayden Triggs, Chris Small, Ben Smith tries; Glenn Dickson 3 pen, con, Chris Noakes 2 con). Halftime: 29-16.