BOP celebrations tinged by goodbyes

It was a day of farewells. Goodbye to the NPC round-robin. Sayonara to heavyweight Bay of Plenty players Wayne Ormond, Kevin Senio, Adrian Cashmore and Paul Tupai. But Northland remain cemented to their heavy weight - the joyless burden of no NPC wins for three seasons.

Former All Black and Waikato centre Keith Lowen yesterday became the latest first-class player to join provincial rugby's emigration, although he is heading to South Africa and a berth with new Super 14 franchise, the Cheetahs.

Southland's Paul Miller will play his last game for Southland today before he heads to Japan. But Northland's inability to win a match is staying right here in New Zealand.

Yesterday, it was impossible to feel anything other than sympathy and a sneaking admiration for the Cambridge Blues.

They worked hard, tried hard and played hard enough that the Bay knew they hadn't been facing the Dargaville Bowling Club.

It was a bit of a grind of a game to begin with but the Bay took the lead with a penalty to first-five Mike Delany and a try to the Canterbury-bound Senio. It came after the Bay stitched together one of the few fluid passages of play.

Senio slithered over the top of a ruck on the line to score - for all the world like an eel slipping down the side of the banks of the Avon river, with which Senio will no doubt become more familiar with in seasons to come.

Northland held out well to begin with, the forwards doing some solid work, and there were hopes that they might be able to get the wind at their backs as they trailed only 10-0 approaching halftime.

But a scrambled passage of play ended with the ball being sent wide by the Bay and the excellent Nili Latu was able to send in winger Apoua Stewart for the try.

A few minutes later, Northland turned over yet more ball, Ormond galloped away with Stewart and a 90m movement ended with prop Simms Davison booming over for a 22-0 lead at the break. In just a few minutes, Northland said farewell to their chances of winning this one.

The Bay worked another good try when centre Grant McQuoid kept the defence at bay after a Hayden Reid break - the latter a former Northland stalwart, ironically.

Northland rallied again and put more pressure on the Bay but it was always the last pass, the turnover or the unforced error that intervened. Stewart picked up an intercept try for his second and Senio sizzled over after a tap kick.

Late in the game, the departing Tupai squeezed over for a farewell try, meaning the only Bye Bye Bay Boy who didn't score was Ormond in his 65th game - a little sad as there have been few more committed leaders in the Bay's history.

With Ormond off to Japan, Cashmore to Britain and Tupai also overseas, there are fears more Bay players may drift away and weaken the province further. But that will be no consolation to Northland.

Bay of Plenty 51

(K. Senio 2, A. Stewart 2, S. Davison, G. McQuoid, Paul Tupai, T. Latimer tries, ; M. Delany 3 cons, pen, Tupai con).

Northland 3

(D. Holwell pen).

Halftime: 22-0.