The Bay of Plenty Steamers pulled off a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat defending NPC champions Wellington 33-26 on Saturday, sealing their place in the quarter-finals.

Down 21-0 after 28 minutes, the Steamers looked in deep trouble against a Lions side with historical dominance over them.

But a try just before halftime sparked a resurgence, with young halfback Charlie Sinton helping to lead the charge.

The 19-year-old, a former New Zealand Schools captain in his debut season out of school, crossed twice – once either side of the break – to help ignite the turnaround.

“It was an easy growl at halftime,” head coach Richard Watt said. “I said ‘boys, we’ve got to win the ball and look after it’. Once we look after the ball, we can start putting pressure on teams.”

Watt praised his side’s resilience and composure in tough conditions, with the Steamers playing into a stiff wind in the second half.

The comeback was capped off by a composed final 20 minutes, with the visitors holding firm.

The win also served as a form of redemption after Bay of Plenty’s dramatic extra-time loss to Wellington in last year’s 100-minute NPC final.

“Wellington’s always been a bogey team for us. This time, we had to do it the hard way, but the boys showed real character,” Watt said. “I told them at halftime, ‘we’re going to see what your character is now’ – and they delivered.”

The Steamers returned to Tauranga late on Saturday after flying to Auckland, but uncertainty remains around their quarter-final schedule.

Sunday’s final round-robin matches will determine both the opponent and timing. The only certainty, Watt confirmed, is that it will be a home quarter-final.

The Steamers came back from being down 21 points before halftime to take the win.

With one injury concern – flanker Joe Johnston suffering a knee knock – Watt said the squad otherwise came through unscathed.

One of the day’s biggest positives was the performance of Sinton, who Watt believes is a future star.

“A guy’s first year out of school, playing halfback at this level. He’s showing what promise he’s got,” Watt said. “He’s got a big future.”

Bay of Plenty now await the outcome of Sunday’s results between Tasman and Counties Manukau, and Canterbury and Taranaki, to learn who they’ll face – and when – in the quarter-finals.