Match reports from the final round
Wellington will host one of the Mitre 10 Cup premiership semifinals after a comfortable win over Waikato.
The Lions ran out 39-21 winners at Westpac Stadium in Wellington yesterday, with a three-try burst during the five minutes before halftime doing most of the damage.
After an early Jackson Garden-Bachop penalty, Waikato scored the game’s opening try in the 21st minute via hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho finishing off a rolling maul from a 5m lineout. Wellington struggled to find an answer, but blew Waikato away just as Waikato looked like they would go to the sheds up 7-6.
Hooker Asafo Aumua struck first, showing good finishing ability after replacement back Pepesana Patafilo – who came on for Peter Umaga-Jensen who suffered an ankle injury that later saw him on crutches on the sideline – had shown electric speed to cut through the Waikato defence.
Wing Vince Aso, who earlier butchered a try when dropping the ball as he tried to plant it on the tryline, used his footwork and speed to beat the Waikato defence to score his side’s second try. The third try was scored by centre Billy Proctor, with Aso finding the line break to set him up.
From a potential one-point lead, Waikato found themselves down 18 at the break.
But the second half started much the way the first half ended, with Aso almost crossing for his second try, only for the TMO to call it back for a foot in touch, before Aumua did run in his second try after good work from fullback Trent Renata down the right flank. Patafilo helped lay on Wellington’s next try five minutes later for halfback Kemara HauitiParapara.
Waikato hit back with two converted tries of their own to Bailyn Sullivan and Louis Rogers as the intensity of the match started to fall away.
Wellington will play either Canterbury or North Harbour in their semifinal in Wellington next weekend, with those two teams meeting for the Ranfurly Shield on Sunday afternoon in Christchurch.