Wellington win may not be enough

Wellington 21 Otago 14

Wellington got the win but not the bonus point they needed to confirm a home quarterfinal after beating Otago 21-14 in an Air New Zealand Cup top six rugby match in Dunedin tonight.

Wellington are fourth in the standings on 29 points but Canterbury, on 25 points, now need a bonus point win at home over championship leaders Auckland tomorrow night to snatch a quarterfinal slot.

A Canterbury win without the bonus point would leave both teams tied on 29 points, leaving Wellington in fourth place and set for a home quarterfinal by virtue their win over Canterbury in pool play.

For Otago, it was a fourth successive defeat, despite the return to their All Blacks, lock James Ryan after injury and prop Carl Hayman after Tri-Nations duty.

Firmly anchored at the bottom of the top six pool, Otago coach Steve Martin has much to do to lift his side for the playoffs.

Otago led 11-7 at halftime from two penalties to first five-eighth Nick Evans and a try to skipper Josh Blackie.

With their scrum dominant and Wellington's lineouts shonky, Otago must have fancied their chances against a Wellington side once again looking disjointed.

Wellington's indiscipline in the first 20 minutes resulted in a string of penalties against them.

But for Evans missing one penalty and seeing another come off an upright, Wellington would have been facing a far bigger deficit.

Blackie's try was a gift as Wellington botched their own throw in at a lineout and the rangy flanker plucked the ball out of halfback Piri Weepu's fingers to gallop 35m untouched to the tryline.

Wellington showed more promising glimpses in their three tries, with the first created by wing Ma'a Nonu.

Nonu bust the Otago defence before the ball moved to Ross Filipo, Tana Umaga and then wing Cory Jane, who had far much pace for Otago's cover defence.

The second was another sweetly constructed try to Umaga, who fed Jerry Collins before doubling around to accept the return pass, and the third went to Nonu, who made amends for another mixed performance.

Otago's only reward for a poor second half was a penalty to Evans.

Wellington 21 (Cory Jane, Tana Umaga, Ma'a Nonu tries; Jimmy Gopperth 3 con)
Otago 14 (Josh Blackie try; Nick Evans 3 pen).
HT: 7-11.

-NZPA