Turbos getting up to speed

Manawatu 3 Wellington 11

There have been times when Manawatu's passage through the Air NZ Cup has not been respectfully viewed. "Not much better than a good club side" was a verdict delivered in this newspaper, for example.

And if a 3-0 halftime lead is neither one thing nor the other when it comes to the result of a match, it speaks volumes for the courage of the Manawatu men against Wellington last night. For once, they seemed to live up to the name Turbos.

They tackled just about everything that moved, chased and harried Wellington so effectively that the Lions looked more like Lie-ins.

It is often the way that sides do not back up well after winning a key clash - like the one Wellington had with Auckland last week - and Wellington did not look at their best, apart from the irrepressible Cory Jane, all energy and industry at fullback. Their error rate - much of it unforced - was high. But that does not fully explain the belief that percolated through Manawatu as the first half went on.

Lock Hayden Triggs - by a long stretch Manawatu's most valuable player this season - hammered away in the lineouts, scrums and around the field and even a searing break and passing rush by No 8 Thomas Waldrom and flanker Ben Herring was snuffed out in the corner after heroic defence by winger Andre Taylor.

Perhaps Manawatu are starting to find the pace of the game at this level, and they grew in stubborness and determination, finishing the first half ahead by a Graham Smith penalty.

Tamati Ellison squared things in the first half but then big lock Ross Filipo was sin-binned after shoulder-charging Argentinian fullback Francisco Bosch without the ball. However, Ma'a Nonu sparked a Wellington raid and another Ellison penalty and, after 50 minutes, Wellington finally led.

And then the world tilted back on to its correct axis. Filipo came back on. Nonu put Conrad Smith into a hole and over the line with a little outside shuffle and that was that.

Manawatu tried to attack but can take a great deal of heart from their performance. They showed a lot of it. Wellington's performance would be better linked to other body parts.

Manawatu 3 (G. Smith pen),
Wellington 11 (C. Smith try; T. Ellison 2 pen).
HT: Manawatu 3-0.