UPDATED: Taranaki beat the Bay of Plenty Steamers 30-22 on the Domain on Saturday in a lacklustre game that Stuff reporter Glenn McLean says had people looking forward to the half time entertainment.

Lalakai Foketi was unable to stop Berny Hall's first half try. Photo: Chris Callinan.

The boot of Taranaki's Marty McKenzie saved the premiership side's blushes in the national provincial championship cross-over rugby match against Bay of Plenty as they escaped Tauranga with a 30-22 win on Saturday.

McKenzie kicked a perfect six from six in a match that spluttered from mistake to mistake, although there was a sprinkling of quality, just not much.

The first 40 minutes had most of the fans at the intimate Tauranga Domain looking forward to the halftime entertainment such was the standard of some of the rugby, especially from the Steamers who managed to create just one clear cut try scoring opportunity.

Unfortunately for them lock Shahn Eru's final pass did not match his long run and it was telling that forementioned entertainment got more of a roar than any of the home side's collective play.

Taranaki, who had the monopoly of the ball through the opening quarter, took a 14-0 lead into the break after tries to Johnny Fa'auli and Berny Hall.

The first came just minutes after Fa'auli had returned from concussion tests following a sickening blow with Steamers first five-eighth Dan Hollinshead who was carted off after just 4½ minutes, the medics taking longer to stabalise him than he was actually on the field.

Taranaki's second was almost comical as Hollinshead's replacement, former Italy international Kelly Halmona, passed the ball straight into Hall's midrift.

Looking like he would be more at home in the Florida everglades than a footy field, Hall scampered 60m to score as he outlasted the chasing Bay of Plenty defenders.

From that point the game fell apart for a period as both sides tried to do too much, although Taranaki would be annoyed they could not take advantage of several chances they created because they did not adhere to the revised breakdown rules.

Several of those chances were created by Perofeta who splintered the defensive line.

The start of the second half saw Seta Tamanivalu show why Steve Hansen was not prepared to take him to Sydney after he blew a clear try scoring chance with a pass of pure putrid when he had his wing clear outside him.

Chris tiatia and Marty McKenzie get some air. Photo: Chris Callinan.

His option taking mirrored that of several of his team-mates who failed to turn clear chances into actual points through poor execution and a clear lack of patience, although halfback Te Toira Tahuriorangi was guilty of the opposite on more than several occasions.

He made up for it somewhat as he scored Taranaki's third try in what was easily the best attacking move the visitors put together.

The Steamers did finally cross not long after, almost against the run of play, and they breathed more life into the game when replacement Te Rangi Fraser was gifted an intercept pass as equally comical as the one in the first half.

While Taranaki opted to sleep their way through the last part of the game Bay of Plenty continued to take advantage of opportunities afforded them to close to within eight points with as many minutes minutes remaining.

They then narrowed it to five, off another Taranaki mistake, before McKenzie gave them the buffer they needed to escape with four competition points.

Taranaki 30 (Johnny Fa'auli, Berny Hall, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi tries; Marty McKenzie 3 cons, 3 pens) Bay of Plenty 22 (Lalakai Foketi, Joe Tupe, Te Rangi Fraser tries; Kelly Haimona 2 cons, Luke Campbell pen). HT: 14-0

Taranaki flanker Bernie Hall scoring an intercept try during the first half.

EARLIER:

UPDATED: Bay of Plenty Steamers' Dan Hollinshead has been stretchered from the field following a suspected head knock.

A reporter at the match says the Bay of Plenty No. 10 looked to have suffered a blow to the head while being tackled in the first 10 mintues of this afternoon's match against Taranaki.

Medical staff attending to Steamers No. 10 Dan Hollinshead. Supplied Photo.

Bay of Plenty Steamers:

1. Solomona Sakalia
2. James O'Reilly*
3. Siegfried Fisi'ihoi
4. Shahn Eru
5. Culum Retallick
6. Henry Stowers*
7. Hugh Blake*
8. Joe Tupe "
9. Te Aihe Toma
10. Dan Hollinshead
11. Isaac Te Aute*
12. Terrence Hepetema
13. Lalakai Foketi
14. Monty Ioane*
15. Chase Tiatia

Reserves:

16. Liam Polwart*
17. Aidan Ross
18. Pingi Tala'apitaga
19. Keepa Mewett
20. Jesse Parete*
21. Luke Campbell*
22. Kelly Haimona
23. Te Rangi Fraser

Steamers Management:

Head Coach: Clayton McMillan
Assistant Coach: Rodney Gibbs
Assistant Coach: David Hill
Manager: Wayne Brill
Strength and Conditioning Trainer: Brad Mayo
Physiotherapist: Damian Banks
Assistant Physiotherapist: Corey Stunell
Doctor: Turuki Tahuri
Video Analyst: Mark Roberts

*Denotes Steamers debut

Photo: Chris Callinan