10 v 30 
Outstanding Wellington loose forward talent preyed on Northland’s failings to set up a 30-10 win at Toll Stadium in Whangarei on Sunday.
Northland paid a dear price for their failure to control the ball and the worst case was when a lineout throw on Wellington’s 22m line went awry.
The ball fell into the hands of flanker Ardie Savea. Assessing his options in a nanosecond, he poured on the afterburners and headed for the goal-line more than 70 metres in the distance.
He never looked like being headed on a superb run to the line to score in the corner to give his side a 15-10 lead at half-time.
The margin of difference would have been more significant had Wellington kicker and first five-eighths Lima Sopoaga missed his first five attempts at goal, finally landing a penalty goal in the 63rd minute.
Wellington scored after three minutes when Mike Proctor fielded a mis-directed pass which fell into wide open spaces. He raced ahead and linked with second five-eighths Shaun Treeby and when he was confronted it was hooker Motu Matu’u, who was running along the touchline and who had the speed to get the ball down in the corner.
After 13 minutes another turnover saw Savea and fellow flanker Brad Shields work together before a pass to halfback Frae Wilson resulted in him on-passing to lock Ross Filipo who scored.
Northland had their own moment after opting to take a lineout from a penalty and after the maul was employed, and several pick and goes were attempted, it was lock Tom Murday who scored close to the post for first five-eighths Ben Seymour to add a conversion to the penalty goal he had landed earlier.
Northland had a bright spell in the 10 minutes after half-time with almost total occupation of Wellington territory but they came away with nothing as Wellington cleared and in the 54th minute replacement wing Ambrose Curtis scored the bonus point try.
Curtis did well to build on tidy work by fullback Charlie Ngatai. Curtis split the defence and then fed centre Tim Bateman who got around Northland’s Rene Ranger to score.
The game had a significant injury toll and it was significant that Northland’s effort fell off after flanker Jack Ram was helped from the field with a knee injury. Earlier, Proctor suffered a similar fate for Wellington while Filipo was forced off with a bad thumb injury.
It wasn’t the greatest reward for Northland prop Bronson Murray’s 100th game but Victor Vito had more cause for satisfaction in his 50th.
Scorers:
Northland 10 (Tom Murday try; Ben Seymour con, pen)
Wellington 30 (Motu Matu’u, Ross Filipo, Ardie Savea, Ambrose Curtis, Tim Bateman tries; Lima Sopoaga con, pen).
HT: 10-15
10% Discount at PlayersRugby , off the Normal RRP
by entering the code “rugbyredefined“
rugbyredefined.wordpress.com 