Wellington get the job done
Wellington were pushed all the way by Taranaki with the home side eventually securing a home semi-final with a 50-30 win in Saturday's Air New Zealand Cup quarter-final played at Westpac Stadium.
Wellington were pushed all the way by Taranaki with the home side eventually securing a home semi-final with a 50-30 win in Saturday's Air New Zealand Cup quarter-final played at Westpac Stadium.
The match finished as a victory to Wellington, although Taranaki put up a brave challenge and can consider the scoreline perhaps a little unreflective of their endeavor.
In a tightly-contested encounter against an adventurous and gallant Taranaki side, the Lions only made sure of their third consecutive Air New Zealand Cup home quarter-final win when centre Tamati Ellison crossed for their sixth try five minutes from full-time.
Ellison finished off a lightning counter-attack started on the halfway line by Wellington full-back Cory Jane – who continues to knock on the All Black selectors' door for New Zealand's upcoming end-of-year tour.
Ellison's converted try extended Wellington's lead to 43-30, after Taranaki winger Paul Perez had previously scored to bring his side to within six points of the lead for the third time in a tense second half.
Departing number eight Thomas Waldrom was then able to put the icing on the cake by crashing over the chalkdust in the last act of the game, with Piri Weepu's conversion bringing up the half century.
Wellington came out of the blocks firing, and launched into an early lead with a well-taken try to Jane after seven minutes which Weepu duly converted taking the score to 7-0.
However, Taranaki weren't too bothered by the early setback, and struck back with a try of their own thanks to a fine run by Jayden Hayward as he stepped his way through the Wellington defence. The accurate boot of Willie Ripia added the conversion, squaring the scores at 7-7.
Jane and Ma'a Nonu scored Wellington's second and third tries, while Weepu kept the Lions scoreboard ticking over with a simple penalty that was countered by two more by opposite number Ripia.
After loosehead prop John Schwalger had been held up over the line, an ensuing five metre scrum allowed scrum-half Alby Mathewson to make a scorching break through Taranaki's shortside defence to put Jane away for his second try.
Nonu scored in the left-hand corner after that man Mathewson took a quick-tap free kick and sent lock Ross Filipo galloping up the touchline before offloading to the supporting All Black centre.
Taranaki had the final say of the half, with Ripia adding a penalty on 33 minutes after Matthewson was caught offside for the home team.
The second half had seen tit-for-tat scoring throughout, amid numerous turnovers won by both teams and broken field counter-attacks, Wellington twice pulling clear of their Amber and Black visitors, only for Taranaki to respond almost straightaway with tries.
Ripia kicked his third penalty after half-time to close the gap to 22-16, before the Lions pulled away once more through try-scoring machine Hosea Gear who followed up a Weepu stab kick ahead into the Taranaki in-goal area and coolly touched down for his twelfth try of the season.
However, Taranaki weren't going to let their season fizzle out. Scott Waldrom made an incisive break, and the visitors secured some quick ball through the backline. The space was enough for their own try-scoring wizard Perez to convert the opportunity and dot down for his first of two tries in the corner.
Ripia's boot secured the extras and took the score to 29-23.
The Lions kept pressing for opportunities inside Taranaki's half, Gear twice breaking through to almost score again, before the pressure was rewarded in the 68th minute when Filipo was again waiting in the wings to score.
Weepu's sideline conversion sailed through the uprights to give the Lions a thirteen-point buffer.
Some poor discipline from both sides led to both Chris Masoe and Nemia Soqueta getting their temporary marching orders.
Taranaki then gave Wellington a scare, and brought themselves back into the match with the mercurial Perez again the scorer as he blazed the Wellington backs for pace and scored in the corner on 74 minutes.
Ripia was on target to bring Taranaki within seven points with the scores at 36-30 and set up an explosive finish.
In the last few minutes of the second half, the match had an upset written all over it – the visitors were within one more score of stunning their fellow Hurricanes franchise members.
But the Lions rallied effectively to grab two late tries and put some flattering daylight between themselves and the gallant men from the 'Naki who played hard and with plenty of commitment, but missed just too many tackles in the final reckoning.
The scorers:
For Wellington:
Tries: Jane 2, Nonu, Gear, Filipo, Ellison, Waldrom
Cons: Weepu 5
Pen: Weepu
For Taranaki:
Tries: Perez 2, J Haywood 2
Cons: Ripia 3
Ripia: Ripia 3
Wellington: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Buxton Popoali'i, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Piri Weepu (c), 9 Alby Matthewson; 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Scott Fuglistaller, 6 Chris Masoe, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 4 Ross Filipo, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Dane Coles, 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Ged Robinson, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 Api Naikatini, 19 Rodney So'oialo, 20 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 21 Michael Hobbs, 22 Tane Tu'ipulotu.
Taranaki: 15 Jack Cameron, 14 Paul Perez, 13 Nathan Hohaia, 12 Jayden Hayward, 11 Shayne Austin, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Brett Goodin, 8 Taiasina Tuifua, 7 Scott Waldrom, 6 Chris Walker, 5 Craig Clarke, 4 Jason Eaton, 3 Shane Cleaver, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Penn (c).
Replacements: 16 Laurence Corlett, 17 Hamish Mitchell, 18 Leon Power, 19 Nemia Soqeta, 20 Brendan Haami, 21 Isaia Tuifua, 22 Corey Niwa.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence
Touch judges: Kelvin Deaker, Josh Noonan
TMO: Keith Brown