The Vodafone Wellington Lions are hoping for another gale force performance in the first of this weekend’s semi-finals against Canterbury at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Friday night.

The Vodafone Wellington Lions soundly beat Southland 45-3 in last week’s home quarter-final at a windy Westpac Stadium and travel to take on Canterbury on their home turf.

Coach Aussie McLean has made just one injury-enforced change to tackle his old province, with Tom Harding replacing Serge Lilo at openside flanker.

The dynamite Lilo was forced from the field early in the first half against Southland with a ruptured medial ligament in his knee, prematurely ending his season.

Penetrating Marist St. Pat’s No. 8 Alex Tulou comes on to the bench as Harding’s back up after previous appearances in the wins against Taranaki and Counties Manukau. 

The Lions ran in six good tries in their quarter-final win over Southland, their seventh straight win in the competition since last tasting defeat against the Cantabrians in Christchurch in round four.

The home side prevailed 41-23 over the Lions in that match, up and coming first five-eighth Stephen Brett’s 26 points proving the difference in an otherwise close contest.

This encounter promises to be just as hotly contested, Wellington and Canterbury finishing the ten-game round robin with almost identical attacking records. Wellington scored 354 points and Canterbury 351 points in their ten matches, both winning and scoring four tries or more six times.

Canterbury comfortably beat Otago 44-6 in their top eight match final last week. Like the Lions, the red and blacks ran in six tries against their quarter-final foe, on the back of their 15-26 Ranfurly Shield defeat to Auckland the previous week.

While the Lions and Canterbury also bring tenacious defence and hard working packs, it will again be the try scoring flair and accuracy of the backs that could make the difference in Friday’s game.

In right wing Ma’a Nonu, fullback Cory Jane, second five-eighth and captain Tamati Ellison and left wing Shannon Paku (scorer of seven tries so far in 2007), the Lions currently possess four of the form line-breakers in the Air New Zealand Cup. If they can reproduce their sparkling play against Canterbury’s backline, it should be an enthralling contest.

Lions first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth and his opposite Brett are also neck and neck on points to date, Gopperth the competition leader on 139 points and Brett on 138.

Gopperth (284 first class points) is close to becoming the 11th Wellington player to reach 300 first class points for the province, most recently achieved by David Holwell (1999-2004).

The Lions will be playing in their fifth National Provincial Championship semi-final in eight years since last winning in 2000.

This will be the third NPC or Air New Zealand Cup play-off encounter with Canterbury since 2000 when they beat Canterbury 34-29 in the final.

The other two have also been tight tussles, Canterbury prevailing 40-27 in the NPC final in 2004 at Westpac Stadium and the Lions winning last year’s quarterfinal between the pair 36-23 in Christchurch.