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| Sopoaga kicks Lions to victory over North Harbour |
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The Vodafone Wellington Lions ended their 2011 ITM Cup in the winner's circle with a hard fought 29-28 victory over North Harbour at Albany on Friday night.
Composure in the second half and the pinpoint boot of first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga were key facets in the win, which assured the Lions ITM Cup Premiership status for 2012. The Lions came back from a three tries to one, 23-16 halftime deficit to score 16 unanswered points in the third quarter of play, before retaking the lead once more with about 10 minutes remaining after a fourth North Harbour try. They then held off a frantic period of North Harbour attacking play in front of their tryline late in the match. Sopoaga played a leading hand for the Lions, kicking seven attempts from seven including four second half penalties. His last penalty of the night from 45 metres out in the 71st minute put the Lions back in front after North Harbour left wing David Raikuna had scored a try off a forward pass just moments before. Now holding a one-point advantage, the Lions held firm to the end and fended off a 20-phase raid at the chalk by the home side. The win marked the 73rd and final game in Lions colours for long-serving prop Neemia Tialata, who was part of a well performing Wellington pack that had the measure of its North Harbour opposites in the set-piece exchanges. Missed tackles at crucial times and a succession of handling errors by the Lions were chief reasons for them being behind by 13 points at halftime. Earlier, North Harbour first five-eighth Ben Botica posted first points with a penalty, before a turnover in open field led to a run up the left touchline by left wing Raikuna. From the next ruck, North Harbour halfback Chris Smylie skirted over to score the game's first try near the corner. Botica converted the try into an early 10-0 lead. The Lions strung some promising phases together and were rewarded with a penalty 30 metres in front of the uprights for Sopoaga to warm up with, closing North Harbour's advantage to 10-3. Lions right wing Julian Savea made a try saving bootlaces tackle on North Harbour No. 8 Mat Luamanu, leading to a converted raid inside Wellington's 22 that culminated in a second Botica penalty to restore the 10-point lead. A Sopoaga kick into North Harbour's 22 forced an attacking lineout on the 22. Skipper Jeremy Thrush leapt high to secure quick ball and the backs went wide quickly. Centre Alapati Leiua handed his club teammate Faifli Levave the final pass and blindside Levave ran in their first try. Sopoaga added the extras to close the gap to 13-10. North Harbour responded with a fortuitous 50-metre try to Raikuna, after a Botica grubber kick was deflected off the boot of Wellington midfielder defender Charlie Ngatai, Botica regathered and combined in broken play with centre Rudi Wulf and try-scorer Raikuna for an unconverted try. Hooker Dane Coles ran up the touchline, regathering his own kick and chase and forcing a defensive North Harbour scrum in the corner. The Lions pushed North Harbour off their own ball and won their own feed but missed out on the ensuing try scoring opportunity. Instead, North Harbour won a turnover, hacked the ball down field and halfback Chris Smylie darted between Wellington's forwards into the clear from a resulting lineout on the 22. Smylie then handed hooker James Parsons a clever backhand pass and Parsons crossed the tryline to extend the lead to 23-10 heading into halftime. Lions second five-eighth Ngatai charged down a North Harbour clearing kick in front of the home team's uprights to very nearly snatch a try and grab a perfect start to the second half. North Harbour escaped with a 22 dropout, but Sopoaga was successful with a penalty from the next play. Sopoaga quickly kicked his second penalty of the second half following a mistake at the back by North Harbour fullback Willie Walker, closing the score to 23-16. His next penalty from a scrum infringement 42 metres put them within a try of the home team, before the Lions struck with a clinical long-range try to left wing Hosea Gear, who ran on to a Ngatai pass and ghosted up the sideline to score. The try, started from a skip-out pass across field by Sopoaga to Ngatai, was converted and the Lions now held the lead for the first time in the game heading into the final quarter of the season. North Harbour hit back and retook the lead with a try to left wing Raikuna who broke the line and interchanged with centre Wulf before receiving a forward pass to fly in to score. This put North Harbour back ahead by two points to set up a tight finish. But the home side then gave away a penalty at a ruck in midfield and Sopoaga coolly stepped up to kick his fifth penalty of the evening to put the Lions ahead by one. Sopoaga finished the match with 19 points. North Harbour weren't done yet, attacking with purpose up into Wellington's 22. But the Lions defence was staunch and they eventually broke out and averted the danger. Centre Leiua also went close to scoring again at the end after Gear put him in space up the right flanks. The win puts the Lions five points clear of bottom placed Southland in the Premiership standings and the Stags will be meet relegation no matter the outcome of their last match against Bay of Plenty on Sunday. The Lions ended their 10-match ITM Cup season with a five win-five loss record having scored 251 points and conceded 260. This win was their fifth consecutive win over North Harbour and they have not lost to them since 2006. Head-to-head in ITM Cup/NPC rugby, the Lions have now won 13 to North Harbour's 11 of their 24 matches since 1988. The Vodafone Wellington Lions wish to thank all their fans for their support in 2011 and look forward to their continuing support next season and beyond.
Scores:Vodafone Wellington Lions 29 (Faifili Levave, Hosea Gear tries; Lima Sopoaga 5 pen, 2 con) North Harbour 28 (David Raikuna 2, Chris Smylie, James Parsons tries; Ben Botica 2 pen, con). Halftime: 10-23.
The scoring action (by minute):3rd: Ben Botica penalty. North Harbour 3-0
The Vodafone Wellington Lions team was:1. Reggie Goodes Replaced by Jacob Ellison, 66th minute |