-
Tim Bateman scores for Wellington - Source: Photosport -
Related
Follow the live action between two of next week's ITM Cup premiership semifinalists.
FULLTIME
Wellington 33 (Jason Woodward 2, Tim Bateman, Scott Fugistaller tries; Woodward three penalties and two conversions) Taranaki 17 (Jason Eaton, Mark Broadhurst, James Marshall tries; Beauden Barrett one conversion); HT: 17-0
The Lions have done all they can do to claim regular-season honours in the ITM Cup premiership. They've sealed home advantage for the semis and there's a good chance they'll face Taranaki again in the knockout stage, depending on the result of the next game between Canterbury and Bay of Plenty.
Most importantly, they take good form into the business end of the season, while Taranaki obviously have some work to do.
SECOND HALF
79th minute: Wellington 33-17 Taranaki
TRY! Marshall grabs another late consolation try, Barrett misses the conversion. Lawrence calls time before Wellington can kick off again.
77th minute: Wellington 33-12 Taranaki
TRY! The air has pretty much gone out of this game, but Taranaki finally hold that last pass for Broadhurst to plunge over and Barrett to convert.
74th minute: Wellington 33-5 Taranaki
Leiua recovers a loose ball in midfield and is steaming towards the line, a try for all money - but he's just tipped by Taylor, who manages to knock the ball free. Taranaki counterattack, but again, lose the opportunity when a pass goes astray.
58th minute: Wellington 33-5 Taranaki
TRY! Finally, Taranaki are on the board, with Beauden Barrett making a half break, feeding Hayward left, to Ormond and then a back-handed pass to Eaton, who crosses in ther corner. Barrett can't convert from the touchline.
55th minute: Wellington 33-0 Taranaki
TRY! Woodward has his second and it's the bonus point. Savea makes an incision inside the 22 and Bateman feeds Woodward, who spins out of a couple of tackles and dases to the line. His conversion is astray.
50th minute: Wellington 28 -0 Taranaki
TRY! Barrett spills the ball just out from the 22 and Wilson makes good ground towards the left. He finds Coles, who puts in a great little kick that bounces kindly for Woodward to cross - but he misses the conversion.
48th minute: Wellington 23-0 Taranaki
Taranaki put together a sustained attack and look poised to take advantage, but Haywood spills a pass from Beauden Barrett and the sequence ends.
44th minute: Wellington 23-0 Taranaki
Beauden Barrett is guilty of a reflex head-high tackle on Woodward and concedes another penalty right in front of the posts. Woodward regains his bearings to slot the kick. This wasn't as bad as the Hoeata offence and Barrett did pull out of it.
43rd minute: Wellington 20-0 Taranaki
Hoeata is yellow-carded for an out-and-out coathanger on Reddish. Things just get worse for Taranaki.
41st minute: Wellington 20-0 Taranaki
If they want to contest this game, the visitors needed to be the first score in this second half, but they really haven't looked likely. Eaton spills the kick-off and his team-mates are adjudged offside at the ruck. Woodward is spot on with a penalty from in front.
FIRST HALF
40th minute: Wellington 17-0 Taranaki
Taranaki have been camped in enemy territory for the past few minutes, really their best chance of scoring this half. But they can't capitalise and Woodward kicks for touch to send everyone to the sheds for a cup of tea and a chat.
30th minute: Wellington 17-0 Taranaki
TRY! The Lions are tossing the ball all around the field and Treeby make a great run a few moments ago. This time, he gets the ball from a lineout on the Taranaki 22 and finds Fugistaller steaming up alongside for the final pass and try. Woodward converts and the game has gotten away from Taranaki.
18th minute: Wellington 10-0 Taranaki
TRY! Filipo is set loose down the right touchline, passes inside to Goodes, who then finds Bateman to the score. Taranaki are questioning the final pass, but Woodward has already kicked the conversion and it's on the board.
13th minute: Wellington 3-0 Taranaki
The Taranaki defence are nabbed for offside metres out from their own line and Woodward slots a penalty to open the scoring.
11th minute: Wellington 0-0 Taranaki
Wellington forwards lay seige on the goal-line and Savea is driven over. But after consulting the TMO, referee Lawrence rules Savea lost control of the ball before he forced it.
Ninth minute: Wellington 0-0 Taranaki
Tim Bateman puts a speculator down field and the Taranaki defence make a meal of it, until Jackson Ormond is eventually tackled behind his own goal-line for a five-metre scrum.
First minute: Wellington 0-0 Taranaki
A couple of late changes in the line-ups today - Andre Taylor is back at fullback for Taranaki, after an injury-plagued ITM Cup season, while Beauden Barrett returns from All Blacks duty to claim the No 10 jersey.
Toomaga-Allen was helped off after injurying himself in the warm-up and is replaced in the Wellington front row by Eric Sione.
This is also Bryce Lawrence's final game as a referee, after a long career.
Taranaki kick off.
PRE-GAME
Welcome to onenews.co.nz's live scoring updates of Wellington's ITM Cup clash against Taranaki at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
Fouth-placed provincial rivals Taranaki, head south for this final round clash against the third-placed Lions, with both sides looking to enter next week's semi-finals with momentum.
All the semi-final match-ups remain up in the air with the final placings of Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington and Taranaki to be determined at the end of today's games.
Auckland's inability to claim the bonus point in their win over Otago means Wellington only need the win to snare a home semi-final while Taranaki will need to go all-out for the bonus point to return to Yarrow Stadium next week.
Expect a fair bit of niggle in this contest as both sides contain several Hurricanes teammates. There is extra incentive for the likes of Lions hooker Dane Coles and five-eighth Beauden Barrett, who are looking to press for places on the All Blacks end of year tour.
How Taranaki's Tim Bateman fares in his match-up against Barrett will be key to both teams hopes, with the loose-forward battle at the breakdown also crucial.
The only change to the Lions side that beat Otago last week is the return of No. 7 Scott Fuglistaller, which sees Ardie Savea shit to the back of the scrum and Genesis Mamea to the bench.
Lock Lua Lokotui and five-eighth Lima Sopoaga both return from injury to bolster the reserves along with winger Ambrose Curtis.
Stand by for kick-off at 2.35pm.
Wellington: 1. Reggie Goodes, 2. Dane Coles, 3. Eric Sione, 4. Jeremy Thrush (c), 5. Mark Reddish, 6. Ross Filipo, 7. Scott Fuglistaller, 8. Ardie Savea, 9. Frae Wilson, 10. Tim Bateman, 11. Jason Woodward, 12. Shaun Treeby, 13. Alapati Leiua, 14. Matt Proctor, 15. Charlie Ngatai.
Reserves: 16. Motu Matu'u, 17. Whetu Henry, 18. Lua Lokotui, 19. Genesis Mamea, 20. Kayne Hammington, 21. Lima Sopoaga, 22. Ambrose Curtis.
Taranaki: 1. Chris King, 2. Timo Tutavaha, 3. Michael Bent, 4. James Broadhurst, 5. Jason Eaton (c), 6. Jarrad Hoeata 7. Kane Barrett, 8. Blade Thomson, 9. Chris Smylie, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Frazier Climo, 12. Isaia Tuifua, 13. Kurt Baker, 14. Jackson Ormond, 15. Andre Taylor.
Reserves: 16. Laurence Corlett, 17. Carl Carmichael, 18. Craig Clarke, 19. Bernie Hall, 20. Jamison Gibson-Park, 21. Jayden Hayward, 22. Seta Tamanivalu.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence