Otere Black on song as Turbos down Steamers

It was a rather close result between these two teams as the Manawatu Turbos take the win after surviving a late scare with Bay of Plenty having a kick to win it on the hooter.

Jamie Booth – Manawatu Turbos

Jamie Booth got the game off to a flying start as he placed the ball down after just 2 minutes. Booth added a huge sense of composure to the Manawatu side and was a huge contributor to their win today. An overall brilliant show from him.

Otere Black – Manawatu Turbos

Otere Black didn’t just contribute on the points front but also added to the team with regards to overall skill. Black’s name could be heard multiple times as he continuously played the ball through some brilliant situations to gain the Manawatu Turbos some metres and then some points with his conversions.

The Blues first five has certainly made a strong return back from injury with this game being just his second start and first full 80 minutes since suffering the injury during last year's Mitre 10 Cup.

Black missed the entire Super Rugby season through injury and is the man tipped to fill the Blues no.10 jersey next season as the club continue to search for a long-term solution at no.10.

Junior Laloifi – Manawatu Turbos

Junior Laloifi did not contribute on the points front directly but played an integral part in gaining the most metres of the game from the 12 runs that he made. Laloifi gained 91 metres from his runs, contributing to Manawatu's dangerous attack.

Richard Judd – Bay of Plenty Steamers

Richard Judd too had a very good game in spite of his team's narrow loss. Judd’s name, much like Black’s could be heard regularly throughout the game as he contributed with his skill and poise, allowing the Steamers to get within a kick of the win.

Bay of Plenty Steamers scrum

The Bay of Plenty scrum set-pieces were something to behold as they continuously put pressure on the Manawatu Turbos, over and over again. The Steamers scrums were something that they needed to work on after their loss to Waikato last week. They definitely stepped up their game and gave everyone an idea of how scrums should be done.