Rugby: Ieremia injury worry for semi

Wellington 48 Waikato 23

Wellington have an anxious wait to see whether All Black centre Alama Ieremia will be fit for the NPC semifinal on Friday night.

Ieremia's strained hamstring was the only downside to a spectacular victory by Wellington over Waikato on Saturday.

The match ended Waikato's hopes of making the top four.

Wellington's semifinal opponents, Auckland, oddly enough, are their preferred team, even though Wellington have not beaten a full-strength Auckland side since 1986.

Wellington coach David Rennie said that Auckland's narrow victory over Wellington earlier this season had frustrated his players who badly wanted a chance to exact some revenge.

Wellington led 21-9 at halftime against Waikato, but then went into a typically lacklustre 10-minute slump which allowed the visitors a 23-21 lead.

But that was the last Waikato saw of their opposition because brilliant replacement wing Brad Fleming and Jonah Lomu and Tana Umaga, in particular, ripped the Waikato defence apart in a series of thrilling runs.

The only other problem for Wellington in a physically demanding match was a sore back for Umaga. But he said later that it was an injury he had had for a while and he had little doubt it would come right for the semifinal.

Waikato fullback Todd Miller and openside flanker Marty Holah were the best of a team who were in the end well beaten, conceding six tries while scoring just two.

- NZPA