Taranaki 29
Wellington 16
Northland 21
Counties-Manukau 37
Two decades of rugby pain ended for Taranaki in New Plymouth last night as the province savoured a 29-16 Air NZ Cup defeat of Wellington.
An opportunist try at the start of each half proved the difference as the home side lodged their first defeat of Wellington in a championship match for 20 years.
There was no shortage of mistakes from both teams in a match that lacked direction for long periods but that will not impact on celebrations in the city after Taranaki's third successive win improved their semifinal prospects.
Eighth in the standings before the match, they join Hurricanes big brothers Wellington on four wins and 18 competition points at the midway point of the season.
Up 16-13 at halftime, Wellington were kept scoreless after the break as their set piece work disintegrated and their discipline let them down.
Taranaki's confidence grew as first five-eighth Willie Ripia pushed his team clear with the boot over the final half hour, ending with 19 points via a seven-from-eight goalkicking return.
Lock Craig Clarke led a fine Taranaki lineout and his pack dominated most facets in the second spell after being trumped at the breakdown in the first half by a Wellington side fielding two specialist openside flankers in Serge Lilo and Scott Fuglistaller.
Taranaki's first try in the fifth minute was an 80m intercept scored by fullback Jack Cameron.
The second came courtesy of a wild slap from Wellington's defensive lineout which was gleefully pounced on by flanker John Willis, giving them a 43rd-minute lead they weren't to relinquish.
Wellington's sole try on the half hour went to centre Robert Fruean, their most dangerous attacker, while first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick kicked a faultless 11 points.
It was Taranaki's best performance of the year, following narrow defeats of Manawatu and North Harbour.
Wellington's poor showing comes two weeks after their meek loss of the Ranfurly Shield to Canterbury, although they appeared to recover with a 62-19 crunching of Counties-Manukau last weekend.
Wellington prop Neemia Tialata made his first start since the All Blacks' test against South Africa in Bloemfontein seven weeks ago.
He was replaced soon after halftime and their scrum suffered for his absence.
RARE WIN FOR COUNTIES
The finishing touches came from an unlikely source as Counties-Manukau dragged themselves off the bottom of the Air NZ Cup rugby standings last night.
Two tries to mobile prop Simon Lemalu highlighted a bonus-point 37-21 win over Northland at Okara Park in Whangarei as Counties-Manukau tasted victory for just the second time in seven outings this season.
It represented a remarkable turnaround for a side who last weekend conceded nine tries when losing 19-62 to Wellington.
Lemalu's two touchdowns were no ordinary affairs either, his first coming after a dummy, step and fend, and the other when the front rower scampered 24m from a lineout.
An entertaining first half had ended with Counties-Manukau leading 14-9 after quickfire tries to wing Sherwin Stowers and Lemalu.
Stowers' was an individual effort in the 10th minute as he stepped three defenders on a jinking 40m run to the line and two minutes later Lemalu showed impressive skills for a prop to throw a dummy, step inside one tackler and palm off another.
Counties-Manukau showed a liking for giving the ball some air and found easy metres were to be had up the middle of the field when their outside backs had been given their opportunity.
Northland, meanwhile, were much more conservative but were unlucky not to score early themselves when fullback and captain Jared Payne dropped the ball just short of the tryline after he had linked well with left wing Rene Ranger.
They were kept in the contest, though, by three penalties to first five-eighth Lachie Munro, who also missed with two other attempts.
Counties-Manukau quickly extended their advantage after the break as fullback Tim Nanai-Williams landed a 45m penalty before Northland's defence was exposed when Lemalu ran clear from the front of a lineout.
Dangerous winger Lelia Masaga crossed for their bonus-point fourth try in the 56th minute just as rain began falling to further trouble the players, who had found it difficult to gain a sure footing on an Okara Park surface which cut up alarmingly from the early stages.
A disappointing Northland finally responded in the closing 10min with tries to hooker Mikaele Tuu'u and Munro, which came either side of an intercept try to Counties-Manukau captain Tasesa Lavea.
- NZPA
