By James Bennett
Join the team at 3news.co.nz/sport for live video updates of the ITM CUP as Bay of Plenty host North Harbour. We will keep you up to date with all the action.
Refresh your browser occasionally and keep an eye out for added video as we go. We’ll warn you with a VIDEO UP sign every time we update it.
------------------------------------
LIVE COMMENTARY: Final score: BOP 38 - 17 Harbour
79 mins - BOP get their flourish as Smith dives over in a tired Harbour tackle...All video updated. Join us for the Wellington V Auckland game soon.
75 mins - A lineout drive comes to nothing as ball control went missing. Harbour clear through Walker and we will have a lineout...Five to go and this result looks pretty set in stone.
73 mins - BOP looking to finish with a flourish...they are over the line and we will go upstairs. "Phill, try or no try?" NO TRY. Held up and we will scrum five.
71 mins - We head deep into Harbour territory, the visitors with the throw to the lineout.
67 mins - Noakes grabs another three points to keep things ticking over for the BOP as they empty the bench. Video of the latest tries is now updated.
64 mins - Boom! Harbour hit straight back! It was the replacements doing the business, Helleur went for a snipe down the sideline and found Codey Rei on the inside who went over for the five pointer...Botica makes it seven with a tough kick from the sideline.
63 mins - Penalty Bay and Noakes knocks it over from in front, Masaga has been replaced after a couple of tries.
62 mins - BOP have been kicked into action after that try and hunt back down in Harbour territory...
57 mins - Luamanu makes another telling run, this time it brings five points! He scores in the left hand corner, video coming.
55 mins - Mat Luamanu goes on a barnstorming run through the heart of the BOP defence, Harbour pick up a penalty and we will have a scrum in midfield.
51 mins - Empty handed, an obstruction and BOP are let off the hook.
49 mins - Another penalty and Smylie goes quickly, he's over the line but held up..unlucky, scrum five and they can go again, Harbour really need points from this passage...
47 mins - Harbour come back at them and pick up a penalty 5 metres out... they opt for the scrum, a good attacking base.
42 mins - TRY BOP are in early doors and it's that man Masaga doing the damage, video coming.
Halftime score BOP 20 - 3 Harbour
39 mins - Botica blowout! He went to field a bomb from the BOP and fluffed it, the ball raced away from him and he was forced to run it dead under pressure...Bay launch with seconds to go...Penalty, Harbour's way. Botica punts to touch, relieved but behind. See you soon for the second half.
38 mins - Winding down the clock now in this first half, Harbour pick up a penalty at scrum time and the are going to have a shot, Ben Botica steps up...Nails it, Harbour are on the board late in the first half.
34 mins - BOP BREAKOUT! The Harbour backs break down and Arnold gets a foot to it...it's a foot race and Arnold is there first but can't control, knock on..
32 mins - Little injury break as Masaga is down, packing the scrum now, what can Harbour produce?
30 mins - Not used after a simple knock on. Harbour come away and have forced a 5m scrum after a nice little dinky chip kick forced Arnold to force it.
29 mins - Free kick Bay and they opt for the scrum, we are about 25m out. Where's Masaga?!
26 mins - A scramble near the Harbour try line ends with a penalty to the home side, when the get down there they look very likely to score points...And do, Noakes slots the three 20-0.
24 mins - Moa plays the territory game, kicking deep and forcing Harbour to turn and chase...The northerners are making runs into the BOP 22m but unable to spend substantial time there.
20 mins - BOP get a penalty about 40m out and Chris Noakes slots it, great kicking display so far from him.
17 mins - Here come then men from Harbour, Pisi makes a break down the right side, they are looking more likely now...Aww! Stunning from Sam Cane at the breakdown, he snaffled the ball and BOP cleared through Noakes.
14 mins - Bang! McAlister gets put on his ass in a big way.
13 mins - The home side are all over this one early, Harbour have hardly had any ball to speak of as Burke puts a massive punt down deep into Harbour territory...
10 mins - TRY BOP in again same corner, different player, this time it's Masaga diving over latching onto a grubber...Video coming. Noakes makes no mistake with the conversion from out wide, quality.
7 mins - Aww a little knock on and Harbour are off the hook. Time to get their hands on the ball.
5 mins - VIDEO UPDATED of the early try to BOP. Noakes slotted the conversion from out wide also as the Bay head straight back on attack.
2 mins - Noakes with some early touches and BOP are over the line...it's a forward and we are going upstairs...Sam Cane has scored in the right hand corner! Video coming.
1 mins - Luke McAlister back for Harbour, can he make a difference tonight?
Kickoff - We are underway and it's early pressure from the home side as they punt into good territory..
We will bring you live commentary from 5:30pm, in the meantime you can check out video from this afternoon’s Ranfurly Shield match as Southland upset Canterbury.
------------------------------------
Bay of Plenty will be looking to make it two from two against Championship opposition in its home opener, but Harbour showed enough in a second-spell burst midweek to suggest it won't be easy.
VENUE & TIME: Baypark Stadium, Mt Maunganui, Saturday July 23 @1735
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 26; Bay of Plenty 12 wins, North Harbour 14.
LAST TIME: August 29, 2010 (Rotorua) – Bay of Plenty 39-29 North Harbour.
Luke Braid returns to the Bay of Plenty side and, somewhat surprisingly, replaces Tanerau Latimer at blindside.
Otherwise Sean Horan has made a few changes from the side that did the job at Pukekohe, including leaving veterans Latimer, Luke Andrews and Steve Kefu out of the matchday 23.
Luke McAlister makes his first appearance for North Harbour this week but another former All Black, Rudi Wulf, is unavailable through a shoulder injury and has been replaced by Nafi Tuitavake.
Liam Barry has not gone for many changes although there are three in the tight five, where Filo Paulo returns at lock.
FORM:
Bay of Plenty:
Round 1: beat Counties-Manukau 20-13 (a)
North Harbour:
Round 1: lost to Otago 29-46 (a)
Round 2: beat Tasman 39-15 (h)
Bay of Plenty was solid in its opener against Counties-Manukau, where the pack did enough to limit the Steelers chances to not much.
The lineout was especially impressive, but the all-round effort would have pleased Horan.
The backline generally played soundly, limiting errors and playing the percentages nicely.
North Harbour limped through another ordinary first 40 on Tuesday and then suddenly burst into life, scoring four good tries in 14 minutes to take the game away from Tasman.
The side showed what it can do in that second half; now finding consistency is the challenge for the Harbour men.
Culum Retallick led the way for Bay of Plenty last week, dominating the aerial game and stopping Counties building any long periods of pressure.
He was well backed up by his loose trio, where Latimer and Colin Bourke showed plenty of skill and the mental hardness that has been honed over years of provincial rugby.
Taniela Moa was lively when he came on and added spark and some different variations to keep the defence guessing.
North Harbour No 8 Mat Luamanu picked up a couple of close-range tries and has now scored 11 in his last eight championship outings, but his defensive work will be equally as important this week.
Paulo, who did well for the Blues, will be an important man for Harbour in set pieces and around the field.
While many eyes will be on McAlister, Ben Botica's ability to control play and kick his goals will be equally as important for the Harbour cause; when he got going last Tuesday he ran a nice show.
Bay of Plenty is a hard team to beat at home, and last week showed it will be hard side to beat anywhere in 2011.
The Steamers also have the advantage of no midweeker, and any result other than a home win would surprise although the margin will probably not be much more than seven to ten points.
TEAMS:
Bay of Plenty: 1. Bronson Murray, 2. John Pareanga, 3. Josh Hohneck, 4. Leon Power, 5. Culum Retallick, 6. Luke Braid, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Colin Bourke (capt), 9. Taniela Moa, 10. Chris Noakes, 11. Ben W Smith, 12. Jason Hona, 13. Phil Burleigh, 14. Lelia Masaga, 15. Toby Arnold.
Reserves: 16. Daniel Perrin, 17. Pingi Tala'apitanga or Tristan Moran, 18. Leighton Price, 19. Carl Axtens, 20. Jamie Nutbrown, 21. Daniel Waenga, 22. Lance MacDonald, 23. Greg Pleasants-Tate.
North Harbour: 1. James Afoa, 2. James Parsons, 3. Ben Afeaki, 4. James King, 5. Filo Paulo, 6. Solomon King, 7. Scott Uren, 8. Mat Luamanu, 9. Chris Smylie (capt), 10. Ben Botica, 11. David Raikuna, 12. Luke McAlister, 13. Nafi Tuitavake, 14. Ken Pisi, 15. Willie Walker.
Reserves: 16. Manu Leiataua, 17. Taione Vea, 18. Chris Smith, 19. Brent Wilson, 20. Brenton Helleur, 21. Brendon Watt, 22. Codey Rei, 23. Michael Field.
REFEREE: Grant Stuart (ITM Cup debut)
- Sportal
-------------------------------------