Lineout woes put paid to unbeaten Cake Tin record

Wellington 14 Auckland 11

Auckland's forwards should prepare for plenty of standing in line ahead of Friday night's table-topping clash with North Harbour at Eden Park.

The pool A Air New Zealand Cup leaders are not alone in this country in having real issues at the lineout, but that's no consolation after losing their unbeaten record at the Cake Tin on a lousy night.

Eight Auckland throw-ins went wrong, Wellington dominated the possession and territory and, although far from perfect, were worth the win.

Auckland simply did not have enough ball to function effectively and although Waikato (against Canterbury) and the All Blacks have this season proved it is possible to win games with a lineout which is all at sea, it's not a method for success you'll find in the rugby 101 handbook.

When Kurtis Haiu arrived after halftime, things picked up a bit and he finished with five lineout takes. But coach Pat Lam was left scratching his head.

"The fundamentals - either the throwing or the lifting or the timing - were really out of sync there," he said yesterday.

"It was a good reminder for the rest of the season that we've got to put a bit more focus there."

But Lam had no regrets about the seven changes he made to a winning combination for the trip to the capital.

Among them, he replaced the entire front row and left good performers Haiu and flanker Daniel Braid and versatile Isa Nacewa on the bench. All were on early in the second half, but Lam insists if Auckland are to win the inaugural cup, it will be achieved by a squad, rather than a team.

"The most important thing for the fans is they want the championship," he said.

"We haven't started the same team right through. This was an opportunity to throw some of the young boys into a big environment, which is good for them. I wouldn't change it at all."

There were some strong performers, like halfback Taniela Moa, whose muscular charge for the Wellington line from a quick tapped penalty 12 minutes after the break set up flanker Onosai Tololima-Auva'a for Auckland's only try.

Fullback Brent Ward had a chance to put Auckland level but missed a difficult 40m penalty chance five minutes from the end.

As for Wellington, Conrad Smith's rehabilitation from his broken leg continued with a tidy night while inside him, Ma'a Nonu, back after breaking a thumb, did some powerful work. His hard, straight running had Auckland's inside defence creaking.

He set up flanker Ben Herring's try with one such surge, but blotted his night with a stupid late, no-arms charge on wing David Smith.

Auckland's first half was blotted by too much aimless kicking and at times they looked haphazard.

For all that, they could have pinched it.

Tasesa Lavea was stopped half a metre short of the line; Jerome Kaino slipped when a try seemed likely and James Somerset will wonder why referee Kelvin Deaker did not award a penalty try when Shannon Paku held him back as the ball bobbled over the Wellington line.