Bay set for title

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 40

Bay set for title

By

JOHN BROOKS

Bay of Plenty seems set to become the country’s champion provincial rugby team this week-end. The Bay joined Manawatu at the top of the first division table in the Radio New Zealand competition by beating Otago, 19-6, at the Rotorua stadium on Monday. The two championship contenders are expected to win their final games on Saturday. Bay of Plenty will face Hawke’s Bay in Rotorua, and Manawatu will play Marlborough in Blenheim.

If results follow predictions, Bay of Plenty and Manawatu will finish first equal, with 17 points apiece. In this case the title will be awarded to the Bay, as it beat its rival, 28-9. in Palmerston North earlier this season.

This is the count-back method adopted for the com-

petition. Had Manawatu and Bay of Plenty drawn in their match, the result would have been decided on a comparison of points differentials.

Again, the Bay would have triumphed, for it has a present plus score of 80 points, compared with Manawatu’s plus 39. The Bay of Plenty fullback, Greg Rowlands, is the leading scorer in the first division with 73 points — one ahead of Doug Rollerson (Manawatu). Steve Watt (Auckland) is third with 61, and Doug Heffernan (Canterbury) is fourth with 48. The leading first division try-scorers are Terry Morrison (Auckland) and Pat Yates (Counties), each with six.

Third place in the first dii vision contest will be at 'stake on Eden Park on Satlurday, when Canterbury

plays Auckland.- The Auckland team holds third place at present, but it is only one point ahead of Canterbury. Southland will have its last chance to escape involvement in a promotionrelegation match when it plays Wellington in Invercargill tomorrow. Should Southland lose — as seems likely in view of its unimaginative display against Canterbury a few days ago — it will be required to play the top southern team in the second division, South Canterbury.

In spite of the absence of its South Island representatives, Bill Anderson and Tony Goddard, South Canterbury crushed North Otago in its final engagement. Its 48-point spree enabled Doug Nicol (44 points) and Robin Heron (six tries) to go to the top of the individual scoring tables in the southern section.