Battling Bay missing performers for crucial game

By CHRIS RATTUE

Bay of Plenty coach Vern Cotter believes a handful of players in his battling side deserve strong consideration for Chiefs' Super 12 selection.

Unfortunately for Cotter and Bay of Plenty, two of them will be missing when they take on Waikato on Saturday in a match which may have far-reaching consequences for the Bay union.

Bay of Plenty will need all hands on deck as they look for what is probably their best option, a bonus point, against the NPC leaders as they seek to avoid going into the promotion-relegation clash.

With Hawkes Bay chewing their way through the second division with such ease, the promotion-relegation match may be a closer battle than generally predicted.

Two of Bay of Plenty's best, centre Nick Collins and loose forward Wayne Ormond, have succumbed to shoulder injuries and will again be missing against Waikato.

A fit Collins should be a certainty for the Chiefs, given his contributions for them this year with limited opportunities. But Collins faces a medical race against time - and the rise of Waikato's Regan King has put more of a squeeze on the Chiefs midfield.

Ormond, who is best on the blindside, was hampered by a knee injury last year, but has been a standout this season in a struggling side.

Cotter said Ormond was a slight chance to be fit if needed for the promotion-relegation game.

Bay of Plenty rugby minds are fixed on avoiding a promotion-relegation clash that could see them drop to the second division after a couple of years in the top grade.

The omens are not good.

The Steamers actually "won" the statistics battle in many areas against Wellington in Tauranga on Sunday, but lost the match 74-20. That shows again that often in rugby, an unstructured game, statistics can mean very little. For instance, Bay of Plenty made 135 tackles and Wellington more than 200, but Bay of Plenty did very little with its possession while Wellington scored at will.

The one area that Wellington dominated was line breaks, and if there was a statistic for speed, then Wellington would have been off the dial compared with the home side.

"Their No 8, Rodney So'oialo, is a big man but he can run as fast as our inside backs," Cotter said. "Wellington made breaks from a long way out and we just couldn't match their pace."

Another Bay of Plenty statistic represents a common theme in the NPC - as the competition goes on, the rich get richer and the poor poorer. In matches against the Super 12 franchise base unions, Bay of Plenty have gone steadily downhill. Those losing margins have been Canterbury (5), Otago (15), Auckland (43), Wellington (54).

This Saturday, two of the other players Cotter believes could be in the Super 12 frame will have to conjure up some miracles around them to help promote the Steamers' first division cause.

First five-eighths Glen Jackson has already performed wonders, and Tongan hooker Aleki Lutui has made his presence felt with barging runs.

Going into the final round, Southland and Bay of Plenty are on nine points, and Northland six. Tied teams are separated by the results between them this season. Bay of Plenty beat Southland, and Northland beat Bay of Plenty.

The odds are that Bay of Plenty will have to rely on Northland stopping Southland from securing any competition points, or Southland beating Northland