80 minutes of capital punishment

Wellington centre Tana Umaga is tackled by Tanerau Latimer during last night's match against Bay of Plenty. Marty Melville / Getty Images

Wellington 11 Bay of Plenty 6

When they wake this morning, both teams might think it was just a nightmare. It wasn't.

This game was not a case of a spluttering engine struggling for life. This was one where the key wouldn't fit the ignition.

Refunds should have been handed out at the exits. There were more than 40 turnovers. It was a shocker.

In situations like this, there's a tendency to use words like absorbing, tight and gritty where flair, spark and dash are so obviously out of place. In England, they'd have loved it.

In this case, forget it. It was 80 minutes of dreadful, junk rugby.

Of the two, the Bay would have been the happier until the 79th minute, when Corey Jane, Wellington's most enthusiastic back, scored off a overlap to snatch a win from the jaws of a draw.

The Bay certainly deserved a share of the points. Their scrum was excellent and they were comfortably able to keep a leash on Wellington's key players, of whom Jerry Collins was subdued, Chris Masoe occasionally lively and Tana Umaga butterfingered until leaving with a hand injury at halftime.

As for the Bay, centre Jeffrey Ierome made a couple of strong dashes, No 8 Warren Smith was good value at the lineouts and round the park and flankers Nili Latu and Tanerau Latimer had their moments.

When Wellington are on song, they are compelling viewing, full of entertaining, bracing rugby. But last night it was all fumbles, bumbles and forward passes. It was as if they had just woken up before kickoff.

The kicking was largely ordinary, at times dreadfully aimless. Kicking with a purpose is fine; too often it was not last night.

The second half brought no relief and the Bay would have been desperately disappointed at the ending. All in all, best forgotten. Conrad Smith got half an hour in his comeback from a broken leg. He'd been better off reading a book.

Player of the match? Referee Steve Walsh.

Wellington 11 (C. Jane try; J. Gopperth 2 pen)
Bay of Plenty 6 (M. Williams 2 pen).
HT: 3-3