Gopperth stars but Taranaki impress

Taranaki 14 Wellington 30

You'd think with names like Plumtree and Thrush that there would be a certain natural combination within the Wellington team but Taranaki's Census meant that all those counting on a Wellington victory almost got their sums wrong last night.

Census Johnson, that is. A former Aucklander, Samoan international and Biarritz player in the Heineken Cup (and he's only 25), Johnson moved south for national championship game time. Like most censuses, Johnson deals in big numbers. He's 135kg and 1.9m and seems to get into double-digit km/hr when he steps on the gas.

Johnson, fellow prop Tony Penn and hooker Laurence Corlett had a decided edge on the more reputable Wellington front row of former All Black Joe McDonnell, hooker Luke Mahoney and promising prop John Schwalger in the first half.

Their scrum caused Wellington no end of problems, an early concern for Wellington coach John Plumtree, and Census had them counting stars when he stood one-off the ruck and did his runaway fire-truck impression.

In one run, he swatted away Wellington halfback Jason Spice as if he was no more than a few flakes of oregano.

The early pressure discomfited Wellington, and when centre Mat Harvey careered out of a ruck with the ball, flanker Luke Andrews and winger Lome Fa'atau contrived to tackle each other. Harvey had a 40-metre gallop to the line with only Wellington lock Jeremy Thrush giving chase.

But, the laws of nature and physics being what they are, 135kg props don't often go plundering the opposition for 80 minutes and this Census, metaphorically speaking, didn't count quite as much in the second half.

Taranaki had superiority in driving at ruck and maul and even their backline, supposedly much inferior to the Wellington unit with Tana Umaga, Jimmy Gopperth, the highly promising Tamati Ellison and the lethal Fa'atau, overshadowed their opponents.

It took Wellington 50 minutes to score a try, engineered by Umaga with Gopperth on a double-round.

With an hour gone, the Wellington pack reasserted itself. Spice and Umaga speared through the tiring defence and Gopperth kicked the penalty to give Wellington the lead, 16-13.

The amber-and-blacks were not done - battling away, painfully claiming territory in the hope the winning penalty goal might come their way.

But Spice spiked through an evil little grubber, the high bounce surprised Taranaki fullback Brendon Watt and replacement winger Cory Jane stripped him of the ball over the line. There was then just time for the best counter-attacking try of the competition so far - with Fa'atau finishing off a Shannon Paku and Jane counter-attack for a cruel final try that went 80m.

But Plumtree will know his charges had a close call.

Taranaki 14 (M. Harvey try; M. Nikora 3 pens).
Wellington 30 (C. Jane, L. Fa'atau, J. Gopperth tries, Gopperth 3 cons, 3 pens).
HT: Taranaki 11-6.