The Wellington Lions won their sixth National Provincial Championship title in an extra time thriller in the wet at Wellington Stadium this afternoon.
A penalty in the 92nd minute to replacement first-five Callum Harkin, 30 seconds after he had come on to the field, was the difference as Wellington 23-20.
The Wellington Lions sixth NPC title win, and second, in three years, was a grueling, engaging slog in shocking conditions. Scores were locked up at 20-20 at the end of regulation time, sending the final into extra time.
The first 10 minutes of extra time was as tight as a drum, with no further scoring.
Turning around for the last time, and against the wind, Callum Harkin kicked a 45-metre penalty in the 93rd minute from a scrum infringement that ultimately won the game.
The Steamers marched back on to attack, needing a try over a penalty or dropped goal to win, as the next tiebreaker was on most tries and Wellington had scored three tries to two.
The Lions won a massive turnover and exited upfield, soon leading to a Wellington scrum. Harkin booted the ball into the Western stand to terminate time.
The opening 80 minutes had been no less thrilling, with both teams shadowing each other throughout several momentum shifts.
The Lions got on the board first in the fourth minute through Oriental-Rongotai wing Julian ‘Tyson’ Savea who opened the scoring and Northern United first five-eighth Jackson Garden-Bachop converted from out wide in his 100th first-class game for Wellington.
The Steamers replied with a converted try to lock Aidan Ross, his first try for the Steamers since 2021, and it was all square with a quarter of the game played.
Garden-Bachop landed a penalty to put the Lions up 10-7, before the Miramar bus left the station again, Savea scoring his second try to put the Lions up 15-7. Savea fended of All Black Emoni Narawa in a vintage charge to the line. He reached the milestone of 50 tries at Sky Stadium and became the 17th player to score two tries in a Division 1/Premiership NPC final.
The Steamers would lament two clear scoring chances in the first half, one of which was a fumble of the ball over the try line. The first 20 minutes of the second spell was all the Steamers. Kaleb Trask kicked two penalties before centre Narawa flew into score a 58th-minute try to put them up 20-15.
Against the wind, the Lions were in a massive hole but following a kick out on the full by Trask rallied. In the 73rd minute Petone wing Losi Filipo scored Wellington’s third try to lock it up. A superb pass by Peter Umaga-Jensen was pivotal in its creation. The conversion was missed and a tense final several minutes – which would turn into 27 minutes – unfolded.
Garden-Bachop missed a 50-metre penalty to win the game in his milestone match, and then missed a dropped goal, while fullback TJ Clarke got airborne but couldn’t score in the corner as the teams went to extra time.
There were 331 carries recorded in the game with 18 players making more than ten tackles each. Caleb Delany (25), Du’Plessis Kirifi (24), Hugo Plummer (22) and Brad Shields (22) were the top Wellington tacklers with openside flanker Joe Johnston topping the Steamers count with (21). Siale Lauaki (18), Benet Kumeroa (18) and Xavier Numia (17) made 53 tackles combined, an outrageous figure for props who all unusually played 80 minutes. Numia (14) and Shields (19) were the most effective of the Wellington ball carries.
The Lions experience was a telling factor in their success. Former All Blacks hooker Hika Elliot answered an SOS call from Wellington’s head coach Alando Soakai in the week of the final. With four hookers unavailable, Elliot aged 38 years, 278 days old became the oldest player to appear in an NPC final and produced 40 strong minutes before leaving the field concussed. Wellington’s lineout which had been faltering didn’t conceded possession while Elliot was on the field. He contributed eight strong tackles and carries in his Lions debut. Elliot has been playing in the Heartland Championship for South Canterbury.
Several players with Wellington connections produced big efforts for the Steamers, none more so than MSP lock Naitoa ah Kuoi (12 carries, 10 tackles, 8 lineout wins) and HOBM tighthead prop Kumeroa.
No. 8 Nikora Broughton (17 tackles, 18 carries) is the son of former MSP and Lions midfielder Norm Broughton and former Johnsonville halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi was strong.
It was heartbreaking for the Steamers, coached by Poneke’s Richard Watt, whose only Division 1/Premiership triumph remains their 1976 win.
The Lions won a record eight matches in a row at Sky Stadium, bringing their total to 102 wins in 140 matches at the venue.
Lions’ captain Du’Plessis Kirifi praised his team’s effort in an energy-sapping final.
“Wasn’t sure if we had it in the bag till about the 100th minute, but just so proud of this group, they worked bloody hard. We train for, moments like that. It’s no surprise we went to 100 minutes, so I’m just glad I had just enough in the tank to get there.”
Jackson Garden-Bachop returned to New Zealand from playing overseas earlier this year, after the sudden passing of his younger brother Connor, but the first five couldn’t be happier with his homecoming.
“It’s pretty surreal to be honest how the stars have aligned. I wasn’t supposed to be here this season, but I’m so happy that I have been able to come home to my friends and family. Playing for this team this season has been a byproduct of needing to be at home, so man I couldn’t be happier right now.
“The boys deserve this, they work so hard, and to do it in front of our family and friends at home it’s pretty surreal right now.
“I love this city, I love this team, it’s been such a big part of my life for so long now.”
A number of players on both sides has massive shifts. Both Wellington’s starting props went deep into the match, with Tawa’s Siale Lauaki and Ories’ Xavier Numia both playing themselves to a standstill. Captain and flanker Du Plessis Kirifi led from the front, while HOBM lock Teofilo Paulo wound back the years coming off the bench in the second half.
Several players with Wellington connections produced big efforts for the Steamers, none more so than MSP lock Naitoa ah Kuoi and HOBM tighthead prop Benet Kumeroa, who likewise was on the field for most of the game. No. 8 Nikora Broughton, the son of former MSP midfielder Norm Broughton, and former Johnsonville halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi were strong.
It was heartbreak for the Steamers, coached by Poneke’s Richard Watt, whose only Division 1/Premiership triumph remains their 1976 win.
The Lions have now won the NPC Division 1/Premiership title in 1978, 1981, 1986, 2000, 2022 and 2024.