Wellington v Taranaki Round 2 Stat Attack

The Wellington Lions opened their home matches 2024 National Provincial Championship season account with a bonus point 26-19 win over Taranaki at Jerry Collins Stadium. 

Some facts and figures from the match by Peter Marriott below:

Round 2 v Taranaki: Won 26-19

Wellington and Taranaki did not meet in 2023.

The two sides have met on 37 occasions in NPC matches. Wellington has won 31 times to Taranaki’s six.

Wellington has won the last two encounters and 17 of the 19 matches in which they have hosted Taranaki.

This was the first home match for Wellington against Taranaki outside Wellington.

Wellington has won more matches against Taranaki (31) than they have against any other NPC side. They have beaten both Bay of Plenty and Northland 29 times.

Taranaki won last year’s Championship beating Hawke’s Bay 22-19 in the Final at New Plymouth.

Wellington has scored a record equalling 99 tries in all home matches against Taranaki. They have also scored 99 against Northland. However, Wellington would have brought up 100 against Northland if they had scored at least once in their most recent match against that side: just two penalties in a 6-15 loss at Porirua in 2022.

The Lions have never failed to score at least one try against Taranaki but this was the second time no conversions were kicked although there were four attempts made in the match. The other occasion was actually in their first-ever NPC encounter: at Hawera in 1977 when just one try was scored.

Wellington trailed by 14 points (5-19) at halftime in Porirua. They have not been behind by that many points and won their match since beating North Harbour 30-27 at Albany in 2008 after being down 10-24 at the break.

The Lions kept Taranaki scoreless in the second half. The home side scored 21 points.

Five players, including one debutant, made their first appearance of the season. They were Caleb Delany, Sione Halalilo, Ruben Love, Billy Proctor and Stanley Solomon. Love and Proctor had been released from All Black duty.

Stanley Solomon made his debut when he replaced Tjay Clarke in the 72nd minute.

A total of 28 players including four debutants have now made at least one appearance after two matches.

Tjay Clarke scored his fourth try in his ninth match for the Lions. He had not previously played against Taranaki.

Julian Savea scored twice, for the third time in a match. He now has a total of 25 tries in 65 match appearances. He also dotted down against Taranaki in 2017. For the record he also scored a double against Otago in 2010 and Bay of Plenty in 2022.

Leni Apisai scored his sixth try for Wellington in his 32nd match for the side.

Jackson Garden-Bachop failed to convert any of the four tries but the six points from his two successful penalty attempts took his total in all matches against Taranaki to 39 In 91 matches for Wellington, Garden-Bachop has accumulated 721 points.

Garden-Bachop is currently in fourth place on the all-time list for most points scored for Wellington.

At the top of the list is Allan Hewson who in 108 games scored 893 points made up of nine tries, 172 conversions, 161 penalties and 10 drop goals. Second on the list is John Gallagher. In 88 matches he accumulated 797 points made up of 29 tries, 141 conversions, 132 penalties and one drop goal. In third place is the late Mick Williment whose 748 points in 108 matches, are made up of eight tries, 164 conversions, 118 penalties and 14 drop goals.

Jackson Garden-Bachop’s 721 points are made up of 13 tries, 196 conversions, 86 penalties and two drop goals. He needs just four more conversions to become the first Wellington player to kick 200, and 28 points to move into third place on the all-time list of point scorers.

For the second week running, Wellington played their match in rain. The conditions in Porirua were particularly bad though with heavy rain falling throughout the match. In many places the ground was reduced to mud.

Fraser Hannon (Otago) controlled his first NPC match involving Wellington.

It was Wellington Club Day and the Lions players wore their club socks.

Before the start of the match there was a moment’s silence to remember the passing of former Lions player Connor Garden-Bachop who played 24 games for Wellington between 2019 and 2023.

Wellington retained the John F Henning Trophy.

An injury to Taranaki player Hemopo Cunningham led to him being stretchered off the park just before halftime.

Wellington’s overall record in the NPC is: played 502 matches, won 318 (63.3%), lost 172 and drawn 12.