It's back to the tackle bags

* Wellington 41 Waikato 17

Waikato's players will receive a call to arms next week.

Arms as in those things players use for tackling.

There was a stunning statistic in this cleanout in Hamilton last night which had Waikato missing 27 tackles to Wellington's 10. You can live with 10 as Wellington proved; 27 and you're dead.

In just about every respect this was a shocker for the previously unbeaten Waikato. Talk about a rude awakening, and against a Wellington team who smeared egg over the tipsters faces.

To be fair, Wellington were a bit scrappy in patches but much of the time they were very good. Certainly too good for their hosts.

After two shabby performances Wellington were full of effort, counter-attacked well and, as so often the case, grew in self-belief as they realised Waikato were out of step.

It wasn't that Waikato lacked effort. Rather, it was one of those nights where too many cogs weren't meshing.

By halftime, Wellington could scarcely believe their luck. They had scored three tries to none, and all owed much to sloppy Waikato defence.

Wellington, needing to reassert themselves after two ordinary weeks in the NPC, made the ideal start. They got an early break, put some pressure on and when Ma'a Nonu spied half a gap he was easily able to shrug off Mark Ranby's attempted tackle.

Neither side was able to totally master their own lineout and much of the play round the ruck and maul was messy.

Waikato operated a flat defensive line which pushed up fast, was often adjacent to the offside line, but it helped disrupt Wellington's attacking plans.

But after David Hill kicked his first and only penalty - either side of two uncharacteristic misses from handy range - Wellington got their second try.

No 8 Thomas Waldrom, who with locks Ross Kennedy and Ross Filipo was among the pick of the Wellington pack, scored one of the best solo tries of the competition.

Waikato botched a lineout and Waldrom, who had a towering game, gathered on the 40m line and rumbled through a series of pathetic tackles to score near the posts.

It got even better for the visitors four minutes before the break when Waikato fullback Sosene Anesi dropped a high ball. Wellington moved it right from the resulting ruck and Filipo ran through poor tackles from Stephen Donald and Steven Bates on an improbable 40m run down the left touchline to score.

If Waikato coach Warren Gatland was scratching his head at halftime, so were Wellington on at least one count. Referee Gary Wise had pinged them 6-0 in the half, meaning Waikato were perfect in at least one respect.

Jimmy Gopperth, who shot an expert seven from eight, increased Wellington's lead with a couple of long range penalties early in the second half.

Hill scored two fine solo tries in the final quarter to offer a glimmer of an improbable comeback. However Kennedy's try between them, and Filipo's second on the final hooter made it a top night for Wellington.

Wellington: R. Filipo 2, M. Nonu, T. Waldrom, R. Kennedy tries; J. Gopperth 2 pen, 5 con
Waikato: D. Hill 2 tries, pen, 2 con. HT: 21-3