Tasman can't quite cut it

Tasman 17 Bay of Plenty 23

It was a game of thrust and cut. Yes, you read that right. Not cut and thrust. Bay of Plenty would thrust consistently upfield against a stubborn wind using their increasingly effective pack - and Tasman would then carve off large acreage with their backs cutting holes in the Bay defence with some rampant counter-attacking.

This was also the game of the video referee. Three times in the first half, he ruled out tries - to Bay lock Bernie Upton, then Tasman second-five Aaron Kimura before a side-stepping Bay No 8 Colin Bourke stepped to the side once too often and was taken out in goal before he could force the ball.

It shaped as a potentially expensive mistake. Especially when Bourke was sin-binned in the second half for an infringement in the tackle and Tasman were stubbornly resisting and still ploughing upfield with the occasional counter-attack.

But the Bay grip on the match held. First five-eighths Mike Delany has a better than 90 per cent goalkicking record this season and his three penalties in the second half were enough to hold off Tasman.

Other than that, there were two stars in this match - busy Bay halfback Jamie Nutbrown and Kimura. Nutbrown has gone from strength to strength since he left Canterbury and his first half display was a textbook case of a halfback working with his forwards to gain territory, good option-taking and the ability to slip into a gap. He also has an eye for the main chance - his pass found space for Upton's disallowed try and he performed a clever sideline scuttle and chip-and-chase for Bay's first try.

Kimura might just win the prize as the biggest midfielder in New Zealand first-class rugby. Steven Pokere, he's not. At 110kg, there are many smaller props than Kimura and he rather underlined the point with a cut-back try when he clattered through the tackles of Bay of Plenty locks Upton and Mark Sorenson.

Right at the death, with Tasman attacking hard, 23-17 down and the hooter sounding, Kimura made another cut through the Bay line. He passed to the outside support when inside was a better option but the pass was forward and the chance lost.

Bay deserved to win even if it was founded on the less entertaining basis of playing the percentage stuff. They put the pressure on through their forwards and a scrum powered by props Ben Castle and Simms Davison. Playing into a decent wind, the percentages held as they kicked low for territory and turned the screw, particularly at scrum time but also at the lineout.

But Tasman weren't standing for that and a cut by centre Peter Playford saw first-five Ben Gollings flash over to level the scores at 7-7 before Kimura finished off a quality move only to bounce the ball over the tryline. He made amends minutes later with the cutback to slice through the Bay defence off a Gollings pass.

The Bay came back with a smart try to winger Anthony Tahana - and that was the end of the try-scoring action, with the Bay grinding away up front and taking their chances through Delany's boot.

Tasman 17 (B. Gollings, A. Kimura tries; Gollings, Kimura cons, T. Taylor pen)
Bay of Plenty 23 (J. Nutbrown, A. Tahana tries; M. Delany 2 con, 3 pen).
HT: 14-14.