Manawatu upsets Lions

Manawatu has got its first win of the season after taking the prized scalp of Wellington in a thrilling game at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North.

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The Turbos outplayed the Lions from the opening whistle and fully deserved their 36-24 win in front of their bucket-wearing faithful.

Both teams scored four tries apiece with the sides claiming their bonus points in a frantic final few minutes as Wellington pushed hard for another last-gasp comeback.

But they never really looked like winning as Manawatu kept up the pressure for the 80 minutes with substitute Asaeli Tikoirotuma sealing the win with a try on the stroke of full-time after Shannon Paku, Hadleigh Parkes and Fraser Stone had scored earlier.

Aaron Smith and Isaac Thompson directed the Turbos well but it was the forwards who set the platform for the rare win.

They outmuscled Wellington at the breakdown and the Lions were heavily penalised in that area which resulted in a 10-minute spell on the sidelines for openside flanker Scott Fuglistaller.

Wellington were never allowed to settle as Manawatu harried them into mistakes and their game breakers in previous weeks were noticeably quiet.

Tajhon Mailata bagged a double for the Lions on debut with Alipati Leiua and Julian Savea also crossing for the visitors.

Manawatu's attacking intent was clear from the start as Francis Bryant blasted through Rodney So'oialo from the opening whistle and it took just five minutes for Paku to dot down in the corner against his former province.

After the forwards had been stopped short, the ball was spun out to the winger who got on the outside of Leiua to score.

The Turbos continued to dominate their Hurricanes cousins, winning the battle at the breakdown and attacking well from the set-piece.

They were unlucky not to add to Paku's try in the 14th minute but were only stopped by some dogged defence from the Lions and a good steal at the ruck by Alby Mathewson.

Still first five-eighths Thompson extended the home side's lead with a penalty on 17 minutes before a rare foray into the Turbos 22 resulted in Mailata going over in the corner on his Wellington debut.

A solid scrum gave quick ball to Shaun Treeby who broke the advantage line but the move down as Manawatu infringed. A quick tap penalty eventually saw the ball spun out wide to Mailata on the right and he dived over in the corner.

Fa'atonu Fili couldn't add the extras and it was 8-5 in Manawatu's favour.
Thompson missed his next penalty shot but made no mistake when So'oialo was penalised for not rolling away at the ruck to stretch the lead to six points.

But Wellington got themselves right back in the game thanks to a smart kick from Treeby and an even more favourable bounce of the ball which wrong-footed Paku and Craig Clare and bounced off Leiua's chest.

The left wing eventually regathered and scored under the posts. Fili's conversion edged the Lions in front for the first time in the game but a penalty just before the break for Thompson gave the home side a two-point advantage heading into the second spell.

After giving Wellington a team warning for infringements at the breakdown in the latter stages of the first half, referee Vinnie Munro ran out of patience and openside flanker Scott Fuglistaller was sin-binned on 44 minutes for incorrect entry to the ruck.

A superb individual try from Parkes two minutes later put Manawatu firmly on the front foot.

The impressive centre was not held in the tackle by So'oialo, got to his feet, jinked past Fili and dived over in the tackle of Alby Mathewson. Thompson added the extras for a 21-12 lead.

A try to big lock Fraser Stone on 57 minutes gave Manawatu even more belief they could finally knock over their more illustrious cousins.

Bryant made a powerful run into the Wellington 22 and Lote Raikabula carried the move on before the ball was spun wide to Stone hanging out on the left wing and he dived over in the corner.

Wellington's game breaker Julian Savea, who had been quiet for much of the game, finally got himself involved with 15 minutes to go. A patient build-up by the forwards laid the platform and Savea came in off his wing to power his way over.

Fili's conversion reduced the deficit to 19-26 but any hopes of a Wellington comeback were snuffed out with Thompson's fourth successful penalty.

A frantic final few minutes saw Mailata and Tikoirotuma exchange tries before the Turbos could finally start celebrating.

Manawatu 36 (Shannon Paku, Hadleigh Parkes, Fraser Stone, Asaeli Tikoirotuma tries; Isaac Thompson con, 4 pen); Craig Clare con) Wellington 24 (Tajhon Mailata 2, Alipati Leiua, Julian Savea tries; Fa'atonu Fili 2 con). HT: 14-12