Brave Volcanix fall short against Counties

The Bay of Plenty Volcanix will meet Auckland for the third time this season to decide their fate in the Farah Palmer Cup Premiership. Photo: Chris James

A brave effort from the Bay of Plenty Volcanix wasn't quite enough to get them home over the Counties Manukau Heat in their Farah Palmer Cup clash in Pukekohe on Saturday.

They've gone down 26-22 in a match which, had they managed to hold on to their 22-7 halftime lead and Hawke's Bay got up over Manawatu, could have set them up for a semifinal berth in their first year in the Premiership division.

Instead they now face a relegation playoff match this weekend against Auckland.

Black Fern Renee Wickliffe and silky-skilled fullback Sapphire Tapsell were among the tries in the first half as the Volcanix reproduced some of the attacking verve that took them to last week's victory over Auckland.

Holding on to some of that first half momentum would have put them in line for their third straight win, but the game changed dramatically in the second 40 minutes.

Counties Manukau showed just why they were 2016 champions and beaten finalists last year, falling back on their hard-headed experience and forward grunt to bludgeon their way back into a narrow lead and keep the Bay side scoreless.

Manawatu's victory over Hawke's Bay shut the Volcanix out of semifinal contention regardless, but they remain fifth at the end of the regular round-robin season after cellar-dwellers Auckland lost to Canterbury.

The Volcanix must now repeat their victory over Auckland in a recently-arranged play off at home this weekend to avoid relegation back to next year's championship division.

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