KEY POINTS:
AIR NZ CUP
Wellington 50 Taranaki 30
There is a ruthless edge to Wellington that surfaced yesterday and gave them the look of champions elect.
Taranaki were a feisty and worthy opponent. They certainly had presence at the breakdown and frequently stole ball they had no business getting their hands on.
That energy and effectiveness at the tackled ball kept the visitors in the game until the final five minutes.
Wellington had threatened to romp away early in the second half after Piri Weepu's clever grubber was pounced on by Hosea Gear to put Wellington 29-16 ahead.
The floodgates didn't open, though, and they didn't open because Taranaki refused to stop believing. They refused to stop scrapping for the ball and they scrambled with everything they had on defence.
It took a seriously impressive run by Gear to break them open after 65 minutes and give Wellington the little bit of daylight they needed.
Having taken possession of a quick throw-in, Gear headed up the middle, built up speed and swerved, bounced and accelerated past too many defenders to count. By the time he was tackled, there was space everywhere and Ross Filipo was able to dance down the wing and finish the move.
That should have been it in terms of the contest. That should have left Taranaki with only Hurricanes places to play for. Instead, they headed up the other end and wing Paul Perez was able to score his second try of the game to bring them within six.
It never felt as if Wellington were under real pressure, as they had looked all game as if they had the ability to step up a gear if they had to. They did precisely that to work Tamati Ellison over after some slick interchanges heavily featuring Cory Jane.
Thomas Waldrom went over on the hooter just for good measure and to boost the confidence levels ahead of the semifinal.
Not that Wellington appeared particularly short of confidence. They have developed this intriguing style of football this season, where they suck up a lot of defensive pressure and then punch on the counter attack.
It worked exceptionally well yesterday, helped by the fact that they supported their raids with clinical execution and high skill levels.
There was a confidence about the Lions, oozing mainly from captain Weepu in the increasingly familiar role of first-five.
The All Black halfback seems to enjoy his outings in the No 10 jersey and he showed enormous composure on the ball and some nice variation on attack.
That composure proved infectious and the most impressive part of Wellington's game was the way the ball carrier was always looking around for the support. That awareness allowed them to offload the ball before the contact and that was the secret to their continuity.
It should also be noted that the pace of their attacking thrusts was most impressive, with some of the forwards, especially hooker Dane Coles, able to support the speedier backs without too much difficulty.
He showed up well, as did lock Jeremy Thrush and halfback Alby Mathewson - and the latter two will be very much on the All Black selectors' radar.
And if the national coaches were watching, there would have been some goggle-eyed disbelief seeing Ma'a Nonu rush out of defence to create a hole for Jayden Hayward to run through for Taranaki's first try.
Nonu has always been blighted by defensive impatience that sees him forfeit structure in the hope he will clobber someone well before they reach the gain line.
For most of this season, that failing appeared to have been cured and his work in the All Black midfield has been much improved, far more reliable.
Wellington 50 (C. Jane 2, M. Nonu, H. Gear, R. Filipo, T. Ellison, T. Waldrom tries; P. Weepu 6 cons, pen) Taranaki 30 (P. Perez 2, J Hayward tries; W. Ripia 3 cons, 3 pens). Halftime: 22-13.
