Rugby: BOP end season with sixth win

Phil Burleigh of Bay of Plenty. Photo / Getty Images

Bay of Plenty 26
Southland 17

Bay of Plenty flicked the flair switch to beat Southland 29-17 in a ITM Cup rugby match at Invercargill today.

They ended the season with a six win four loss record after helping themselves to four tries, two of them to impressive centre Phil Burleigh.

Both teams took a festival style approach to a game of little consequence because Southland were already confirmed for relegation to the second tier competition for next season while Canterbury and Waikato had already qualified for next weekend's final.

In balmy, warm and still conditions, that made for a match of constant ball movement and end to end action as both sides were given free licence to express themselves.

Bay of Plenty had an advantage in the flair stakes, something they like to exhibit as a matter of course and their ability to step a man, create something from nothing and keep the ball alive made for an entertaining contest.

The visitors led 15-7 at halftime following two tries, the first the result of a delicate kick ahead from first five-eighth Chris Noakes.

He placed a beautifully weighted stab kick into the Southland 22 in the 27th minute, which Burleigh ran on to before forcing his way over the line.

Southland's only points in the first spell came courtesy of fullback Robbie Robinson who collected a favourable bounce from a Kenny Lynn chip kick to score a try concerted by James Wilson.

Bay of Plenty gave themselves a halftime buffer just one minute from the break when the backline gave a fluid and accurate exhibition of draw and pass to give wing Ben Smith the space he needed down the left flank to find the line.

The second half was more of the same, with Burleigh collecting his second try thanks to Noakes' running skills.

Noakes danced through a hole and although his pass was tapped backwards by a Southland defender wing Ben Smith was the first to arrive to score.

There was no cooling off period as Southland collected further five-pointers to flanker John Hardie and young second five-eighth Cardiff Vaeaga but the best of the lot was an individual effort from Bay of Plenty replacement flanker Sam Cane, who collected a loose lineout throw on the halfway line and sped off to out pace the defence.

Bay of Plenty 29 (Phil Burleigh 2, Ben Smith, Sam Cane tries; Chris Noakes pen, 3 con) Southland 17 (Robbie Robinson, John Hardie, Cardiff Vaeaga tries; James Wilson con). Halftime: 15-7.

- NZPA