Wellington too powerful against spirited Taniwha

The effort of going toe to toe with one of the biggest, most powerful sides in the country took its toll on Northland yesterday as they faded to a 7-41 defeat by Wellington at Okara Park.
It wasn't the result the Taniwha faithful were hoping for as they flocked to the ground to honour Northland great, David Holwell, in his 100th game for the province.
"It was a great day and people turned up, it was just a pity about the result but that's the game of rugby for you ... they've got so many athletes in that side and if you give them time and space, they're going to get you." Holwell said after the match.
The first five-eighth said the effort of staying with Wellington in the first spell began to show in the second.
"They gave us a hiding at ruck time and we couldn't get any decent ball and we'd turn it over after two or three phases and you can't do that against Wellington cos they'll put you under pressure and the points started to come."
The win propels the visitors into third place on the Air New Zealand Cup table, while Northland remain in 13th.
Northland started the game well, as they have done on a number of occasions against the bigger unions this year, with skipper Jared Payne scoring a try with a 60m run along the touchline after Simon Munro charged down a Conrad Smith kick after five minutes.
But there was to be no fairy tale ending for Northland and Wellington began to settle into a rhythm guided by Albie Mathewson. After having one try disallowed, they took advantage of extra numbers out wide to pierce Northland's defence with All Blacks Cory Jane and Conrad Smith combining to put Tamati Ellison over for a try.
Northland  kept coming but they lacked the polish of the capital side and although they had the best of the territory stakes in the first spell, it was Wellington who scored next, when Ged Robinson intercepted a hopeful Payne pass and cantered over for Wellington's second five-pointer.
With less than five minutes to play in the spell, it was a cruel blow and despite a small twister crossing the ground, Dan Kilpatrick added his second conversion and then a penalty to take the score to 17-7 at the break. The beginning of the second spell got the crowd back into the game - particularly when Holwell showed some of the old magic - stepping off both feet to draw the defence and put Lachie Munro into a hole
that saw him caught a metre or two short of the line.
The Northland forwards soon began to tire and then lock Pat O'Connor and prop Karl Haitana both limped off. The Wellington pack's domination was complete at about the three-quarter mark, when Mathewson ducked around the ruck to score from 5m out. Cameron Eyre made a couple of breaks upfield in the final quarter but Northland weren't able to capitalise and it was left to another All Black Hosea Gear to pick
up the bonus point with two further tries as the Northland tackles began to lose their sting.
Payne, the Northland captain, said the second half felt like it had gone for a lot longer than 40 minutes.
"We knew we had to play with a high intensity to keep up with those guys but I'm proud of the boys, we gave it a good crack, we just couldn't keep it up for 80 minutes, Wellington were just too strong, too big and too fit, and they eventually ran over us."