Late burst delivers bonus spectacle in BOP-Otago clash

By CHRIS RATTUE

OTAGO 46 BAY OF PLENTY 31

There are decent arguments for and against the bonus point system in rugby.

On one hand, it takes away the cut-throat nature of victory and defeat - a serious argument for its abolition.

Major sport around the world survives fairly well without giving handouts to losers.

On the other hand, you can squeeze life out of games that are dead and buried - creating a game within a game to keep the spectators from heading to the gate, grabbing another hot dog, nodding off or swearing it's the last game of footy they will ever attend.

There were some people - just a few - who headed out of Rotorua's International Stadium at halftime yesterday, as Bay of Plenty trailed Otago 29-3 and with Bay loose forward Wayne Ormond having just been sent to the sin bin.

Had these doubters, who to be fair had good reason to be dubious, hung around, they would have seen one of the better arguments for using the bonus point.

With just three minutes left, Otago led 46-17 with the home side only halfway to the four-try bonus point.

With headline writers poised to announce, "Steamers go off the bonus point boil," the men in blue and yellow burst into action.

First, captain Mark Weedon scored, and then the veteran lock helped with an attack that had referee Kelvin Deaker parking a scrum on the Otago line.

First five-eighths Glen Jackson put on one of his shifty little moves through a fairly disinterested defensive line and dived over to give the Bay one of those victories you have when you're not really having a victory.

Events in Rotorua also raised an argument against the bonus point. Should a team be rewarded for a late surge against opponents who were so far ahead they appeared to be getting out the pipe and slippers? Ironically, Bay of Plenty had actually helped their cause by getting so far behind.

Not to mind. Vern Cotter's side had their fifth bonus point of the season, which means that after three games they have the equivalent of one victory with a bonus point.

This is an excellent start to the season for the inexperienced and underfunded Bay of Plenty union and its team.

But they will almost certainly get something in the debit column as they prepare for a visit to Eden Park.

It will be a miracle if No 8 Paul Tupai escapes judicial action after an elbow around Nick Fisher's chin area left the Otago hooker bloodied but not broken. Match complaints official Roger Drummond will announce any citings this morning.

Tupai also hurled punches just before halftime after an incident in which flanker Wayne Ormond was sinbinned by Deaker for punching Byron Kelleher, who was on the ground.

Otago coach Wayne Graham was angry that the incident involving Fisher and Tupai, whom he accused of using a "cheap shot," had gone undetected.

"It's particularly disappointing that it went unnoticed," Graham said.

"It was an off-the-ball incident. We've got two touch judges and someone should have seen the incident. I hope it goes further."

Apart from the charges of barrel-like hooker Aleki Lutui, some good work from the likes of Ormond and Jackson, and enterprise from Jason Tiatia, Bay of Plenty struggled for most of the match.

Their scrambling defence was caught well short when Ryan Nicholas and Blair Feeney scored the first-half tries that put the game beyond the Bay's reach.

Otago were efficient, sometimes enterprising, but most importantly did not make the basic errors, which put the home side under so much pressure.

But it was a brave fightback from the Bay, even if Otago coach Graham was lamenting his side's disappearing act in the final stages.

"Bay of Plenty are very committed ... they're here for a reason," Graham said.

Bay coach Vern Cotter added: "Otago are a very intelligent side throughout.

"We still need more maturity at this level, but at least we salvaged something out of it."