Bay about-face gives Coast loan players for final

By WYNNE GRAY

After a day of dialogue, Hawkes Bay have reversed their original stance and agreed that their two players on loan to East Coast can turn out against them in Sunday's second division final at Napier.

The Bay's chief executive, Ian Condon, said there had been no pressure from the New Zealand Rugby Union. The u-turn had been made by the province for the benefit of the NPC final.

Condon initially rebuffed requests from the Coast that their loan players from the Bay, midfield back Marty Lloyd and lock Jason Bellamy, be allowed to play in the final.

But late yesterday, a Bay statement on NZRFU letterhead declared the loan pair would be available for selection in the Coast squad.

"There was no pressure from the NZRFU," Condon said.

"We made the decision on our own behalf but it was better to use the NZRFU as a vehicle for distributing the information."

After the weekend semifinal results pushed Hawkes Bay into a home final against their neighbouring union, the issue of using the loan players resurfaced.

Condon said his union would enforce the written agreement, made before the NPC started, which ruled out loan players in any games between the two provinces.

That decision had to stand.

"We've received the request [for a change of heart] but nothing has changed," Condon said yesterday.

However, hours later the statement revealed the turnaround.

"The Hawkes Bay Rugby Union has been placed in an impossible situation," it said.

"The Hawkes Bay Rugby Union does not wish to take any risk that the Air New Zealand NPC second division final be turned into a farce."

There was disappointment, however, that an agreement made in good faith had been compromised.

Condon would not discuss those involved or what the reasons were for the change.

It had been a collective decision, though not a unanimous resolution.

"We decided we wanted to get on and promote the day. We wanted a positive feeling and to leave all this baggage behind."

* Five-eighths James Arlidge will play for his loan union, Northland, tomorrow and then stand by for Auckland for their NPC match on Sunday.

Auckland have several backs with troubling injuries and asked Northland if they could have Arlidge, once his match tomorrow against the Bay of Plenty was over.

Seventeen players from Auckland are on loan this season, including Arlidge and Ben Meyer at Northland, Jason Chandler and Dale Rasmussen at BoP.