Mooloo men coast home over champs

By CHRIS RATTUE

Waikato 32 Wellington 18

Wellington looked anything but NPC champions while Waikato found the tonic they were looking for in a rugged clash at Hamilton yesterday.

In a match that edged towards the violent around halftime, Waikato recovered from their poor showing against North Harbour the previous week to triumph in the Air New Zealand-sponsored first division game before a 7000 crowd at WestpacTrust Park.

Waikato giftwrapped Wellington two tries and 12 points in the first three minutes and were suddenly on a sticky wicket, literally.

Rain had poured through the wicket covers on the cricket ground and until a few minutes before kickoff, groundstaff were digging in new turf.

The new patch held up, and so did Waikato's nerve.

Scott McLeod stormed on to a delayed pass from David Hill in the 20th minute for a try and Waikato were down only 16-18 by halftime.

Waikato piled into their work in the second half, and were often met with an almost embarrassing response from a team holding the champions tag, although their coach, Dave Rennie, seemed unconcerned.

"It's a bloody tough competition ... do you want me to come in here with tears?" he said afterwards.

He should be concerned, after Waikato strolled home with Hill scoring 27 points, one short of Matthew Cooper's Waikato NPC record.

Waikato wrecked the Wellington lineouts, pinching eight of their throw-ins. Waikato coach Kiwi Searancke had noted that Wellington used only one zone in their five-man lineouts against Taranaki, so he had Jonno Gibbes and Chresten Davis attack that area.

Wellington also gave up far too many penalties and turnovers, leaving the comeback man Christian Cullen a spectator.

The real spectators in Hamilton included All Blacks' selectors Wayne Smith and Tony Gilbert but if they wanted to see some vintage Cullen to bolster their Tri-Nations hopes, they were left watching something closer to the stuff that comes out of cardboard casks, apart from one great run from him. His often bumbling team-mates hardly gave the great fullback an armchair ride back into the test team.

At the heart of the Waikato effort was Royce Willis, who Searancke describes as the "barometer" to how his forwards perform in rucks and mauls.

When Royce is purring, everything rolls for Waikato.

Willis made the starting lineup only after his groin injury survived the Saturday training.

Waikato lost captain Deon Muir after half an hour with a rib injury that may need x-rays.

They might also have lost halfback Rhys Duggan after a vigorous rucking effort from Filo Tiatia, as the game turned ugly before halftime.

Wellington in turn were angered by an incident at a ruck involving Waikato prop Deacon Manu and halfback Jason Spice, resulting in Manu being cited late last night.