Counties Manukau 31
Bay of Plenty 30
Just as Tana Umaga was no doubt putting the finishing touches on a speech bemoaning the new scrum laws, to be delivered, perhaps, in the sanctity of the referees' rooms, Bay of Plenty found a new way to lose, sparing him the trouble.
In an encounter that had cracking bookends and a whole lot of not much in between, ice-cool first five-eighth Baden Kerr capitalised on Maritino Nemani's 80th minute brain
fade to secure four points for Counties Manukau and condemn Bay of Plenty, most probably, to life in the ITM Cup Championship in 2014.
Just minutes earlier Bay had breathed life into their season, harassing Counties'
scrum ball, as they had all evening, and scoring what appeared the decisive try to Kane Hames. It was not to be.
When their set-piece is working and they're operating off the front foot, Counties Manukau can make the art of attacking rugby look ridiculously simple.