Southland got cast as the valiant loser again.
And maybe we can throw in an unlucky tag as well.
The Stags and the Bay of Plenty traded penalties and the lead in the dying stages of the game.
But the Bay held a 25-23 advantage with a couple of minutes on the clock.
Stags first five Dan Hollinshed lined up two late penalty attempts. The first was a monster effort which drifted wide. The second was more within his range but he sliced it.
Had one of those gone over, Southland could have been celebrating its first win in just over a year, and its first win against the Bay of Plenty since 2016.
Instead, they were left ruminating over another lost opportunity.
They had led 20-10 at halftime.
They desperately wanted a win in their last home game, and to give themselves the chance of avoiding the wooden spoon.
But the visitors did enough to snatch the win.
Hooker Kurt Eklund drove over from a lineout maul and powerhouse blindside Naitoa Ah Kuoi put in a big left foot step to score in that second half as well.
The result means Southland will finish last regardless of what happens in their final game of the season against Manawatu in Palmerston North on Sunday.
Bay of Plenty dominated the opening quarter of an hour.
They had basically all of the possession and pinned the home team deep in their own half.
They were rewarded with tries to winger Fehi Fineanganofo and lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit.
The Stags finally got some ball and launched several unsuccessful raids before halfback Jay Renton stepped inside a defender from close range to score.
The home side looked to have got away with a potential knock-on in the maul, though.
Southand got another slice of fortune, although it was also an excellent piece of timing by winger Viliami Fine.
He rushed up and picked off a wobbly pass from Wharenui Hawera and dashed to the line.
Marty Banks missed a simple conversion and the Stags chose that moment to roll on their entire bench — all eight of them. And they brought energy.
Suddenly the home side was rolling forward rather than back-pedalling.
Tevita Latu crashed over in the midfield and Hollinshead landed a penalty to give Southland a healthy lead at halftime.
The Bay of Plenty led in all the important statistics except the scoreboard.
They inched their way back in that statistic, though. The win has secure them a spot in the playoffs.
- All three southerners in the New Zealand Schools squad will have starting jerseys in the game against Australia under-18 in Canberra today.
King’s High School representatives Quinten Holland and Dylan Pledger are at blindside flanker and halfback respectively, while Southland Boys’ High School star Kiseki Fifita is on the left wing.
Highlanders development manager Kane Jury is the coach of the New Zealand Schools team, who warmed up for the first of two "tests" with a 57-22 win over the Barbarians under-18 team in Hamilton at the weekend.
NPC
The scores
Bay of Plenty 25
Fehi Fineanganofo, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Kurt Eklund, Naitoa Ah Kuoi tries; Wharenui Hawera con, pen.
Southland 23
Jay Renton, Viliami Fine, Tevita Latu tries, Dan Hollinshead con, 2 pen
Halftime: 20-10 Southland.
