KEY POINTS:
Wellington 36
Manawatu 13
An inspired performance by fullback Cory Jane took Wellington to their sixth bonus-point victory of the season, over Manawatu in Palmerston North last night.
Wellington were made to toil for long periods by the plucky Turbos but Jane proved the difference, setting up three tries and scoring one himself as Wellington kicked clear in the final quarter.
Jane's effort aside, it was a muddled display by the raging hot competition favourites, who struggled at scrum time and were blighted by handling errors and poor option taking.
After taking a 6-5 lead into the break Manawatu would have fancied their chances of pulling off an upset but Wellington ran away it mainly thanks to the individual talents of Jane and blockbusting wing Hosea Gear.
It took just two minutes for the Lions to show their claws, with halfback Alby Mathewson denied by a desperate tackle from fullback Kurt Baker after breaking deep into the Manawatu 22.
A try that had been coming from the opening whistle finally arrived in the 16th-minute when Jane broke through and sent over No 8 Thomas Waldrom.
Wellington have had things all their own way on most occasions this season but that wasn't the case against their Hurricanes partner union. With the Turbos increasingly dominant at scrum time, Wellington found themselves heading down a series of blind alleys and the handling errors began to mount.
Two penalties to first five-eighths Matty James gave the Turbos an unlikely lead at halftime.
Manawatu wing Andre Taylor cut down Jane just three minutes into the second spell but he paid the price, being stretchered off after collapsing at the ensuing ruck. His effort also proved in vain as Gear, the competition's form wing, raced away from 40 metres to notch his eighth try of the season.
James missed with penalty attempt that would have pulled Manawatu within a point but two Wellington tries in quick succession put the result beyond doubt.
Wellington 36 (T. Waldrom, H. Gear, T. Umaga-Marshall, R. Filipo, C. Jane, J. Thrush tries; Fa'atonu Fili 3 con)
Manawatu 13 (K. Baker try; M. James 2 pen, I. Thompson con). HT: 5-6.
