A more mouth-watering semi final isn’t possible in the McIntyre Top Eight than the clash between second and third. Whilst Northern have been a model of consistency this season, the resurgent Wellington Cougars have stormed into the eight on the back of an impressive winning streak. Both sides meet on the back of excellent finals’ form, for the right to meet Capetown in the 2004/2005 Grand Final.
Northern Cannons Wellington Cougars
1 Mat Rogers 1 Anthony Minichiello
2 Brett Dallas 2 Timana Tahu
3 Chev Walker 3 John Sitizein
4 Michael De Vere 4 Clinton Toopi
5 Paul Wellens 5 Lesley Vainikolo
6 Jason Hooper 6 Danny Orr
7 Frederick Michalak © 7 Sean Long
8 Edward Hoartshire 8 Jerry Seu Seu
9 Brody Raines 9 Simeon Rice
10 Mark O'Meley 10 Paul Rauhihi
11 George Smith 11 Tony Puletua
12 Evan Mears 12 Jamie Peacock
13 David Lyons 13 Kevin Sinfield ©
++Interchange
14 Borris Ahmed 14 Ryan O'Hara
15 Paul Wood 15 Danny Tickle
16 Ashley Harrison 16 Jake Luana
17 Awen Guttenbeil 17 Amos Roberts
With two sides so renowned for their attacking prowess, the game was certain to be a high scoring one, and the trend was set early on the back of a Wellington penalty for Northern’s markers not being square. As a result of this, the game’s opening try came in only the fourth minute, when Lesley Vainikolo wrestled his way over to show why he is one of the ASRL’s form wingers. Kevin Sinfield converted the effort from out wide to give his side a handy 6-0 lead.
The lead was extended to eight only minutes later, when a sickening dangerous tackle from Evan Mears on New Zealand teammate, Clinton Toopi, gave Sinfield a chance to shoot for goal. Whilst many Wellington fans demanded that the veteran back rower be sent off, Sinfield converted to put his side up 8-0. The fast scoring of the opening period continued not long after, however, with Chev Walker running onto a brilliant Jason Hooper grubber to score his side’s opening try. Hooper’s grubber eluded the usually safe hands of Anthony Minichiello, and fleet of foot Walker was able to collect the bouncing ball to score a scintillating try out wide. Brody Raines, kicking in the place of out of form Trent Pariah, was unable to convert, and left his side 8-4 adrift.
Despite the early scoring flurry, it was far from a defensively weak game, with both sides also producing some memorable defensive passages as the game wound on. However, it was end to end football as well, with neither side ever able to completely contain the enthusiasm and skill of their opposition. Wellington stretched the lead to the biggest it had been all game in the 15th minute, when Kevin Sinfield came up with a brilliant lock’s try to make it 14-4. Running with the support of two decoy runners, Sinfield threw an Oscar worthy dummy to confuse Mat Rogers and stroll in under the sticks. Converting his own effort, Sinfield took the Wellington lead to ten points. True to form, the next try didn’t take long to eventuate, coming in the 20th minute. Chev Walker was again the man Northern turned to, the talented British centre on the end of a daring last tackle option started by Frederick Michalak. With an overlap on the left, Michalak instead went to the blindside with a bullet pass. The Cougars’ defence, expecting an assault on their blindside, had already begun to drift when Chev Walker raced onto the ball. Even the quick response of Timana Tahu wasn’t enough to prevent the try, with Walker bringing it back to 14-8. Raines, who must have been hating Walker for not taking it closer to the posts, missed the conversion.
Two consecutive penalties, one for offside at the kick off and one for a late hit on Borris Ahmed, allowed the Cannons to mount another attack only ninety seconds later. They didn’t waste the opportunity, with Michael DeVere able to confuse Perth bound John Sitizein with a dummy to score a fairly soft try. Much to Raines’ delight, however, DeVere had presence of mind enough to run the ball around under the posts. The resulting conversion saw scores levelled at 14 all after less than twenty five minutes of play. Another penalty from the kick-off, this time for holding the player down, allowed Brody Raines to kick an easy goal and put his side ahead 16-14. The Cannons lead for the first time in the match.
Repeated Cougars’ pressure leading up to half time failed to reap dividends, with the Cannons’ defence rallying time and time again to stave off a lead snatching try. Indeed, the Cannons were able to further their lead shortly before halftime when Paul Wellens snatched a wayward Danny Orr pass from the air and embarked downfield with Minichiello, Vainikolo, and Toopi in pursuit. Wellens, favoured for the English #1 at season’s end, had presence of mind enough to draw in Minichiello before offloading to a supporting Chev Walker. The presence of Vainikolo, however, prevented Walker from taking it around under the posts- leaving Raines with another difficult shot to convert the try. As halftime sounded, the Brookvale crowd groaned in disappointment at another missed conversion. Still, the Cannons were 20-14 leaders after a fairly shaky start.
HALFTIME: Northern 20 lead Wellington 14
The opening of the second half was highlighted by two very different styles of play. While Wellington coach Nathan Hoy demanded more attacking creativity from his side, Dr. Kermit Krockett Q.C had demanded defensive grit from his own charges. The clash of styles was enthralling, with big hits putting an end to promising runs time and time again. There was no stopping Kevin Sinfield in the 50th though, when the lock bounced harmlessly off David Lyons’ shoulder, spun, and crashed over for a much needed try. He was unable to convert his second try of the match, leaving the Cougars down 20-18. Raines stablised for his side somewhat with a penalty minutes later, and poor last tackle options on several Cougars’ sets allowed the Cannons to hold onto their tenuous 22-18 lead until the 60th minute.
When the Cougars did regain the lead, it came through the brilliance of their lock, Kevin Sinfield. With the defence having rushed up on both Long and Orr, the last tackle kicking fell on Sinfield’s shoulders. The third string field kicker didn’t disappoint his fans or teammates, producing a spiralling bomb that allowed Clinton Toopi plenty of time to race ahead and leap above the Cannons’ backs. When the bodies rolled aside, it was clear that Toopi had scored an equalising try. Sinfield, continuing his dominant game, converted from out wide to nose his side ahead, 24-22.
A penalty in the 65th for offside extended the lead just that little bit further, as did a second in the 71st minute. The Cougars, leading 28-22, were in a good position to scrape into the Grand Final and face off with Capetown. The sin-binning of David Lyons for a high tackle further helped Wellington’s cause, with an extra man and a six point lead- it would be hard to stop the two time Grand Finalists. Still, that didn’t phase Chev Walker, the three try hero grabbing his forth when he backed up an unlikely break from Mark O’Meley. The young threequarter had his name struck from Raines’ Christmas Card list when he again failed to run it around under the posts- despite having no real pursuit. Raines missed the resulting conversion, and with five minutes to go it was a tenuous 28-26 lead to the Cougars. Sinfield topped off a marvellous game with a match winning play in the 77th, though, to put the game beyond doubt. The English lock made a clean break, and had the foresight to kick ahead for a flying Lesley Vainikolo. The big Kiwi collected to score a try to seal the game- Sinfield’s conversion leaving it at 34-26. Whilst Northern scored a consolation try through George Smith on fulltime, it meant nothing, the final score- 34 to 32.
FULLTIME
Wellington Cougars 34
Lesley Vainikolo 2
Clinton Toopi
Kevin Sinfield 2
Sinfield 7/8
Defeated
Northern Cannons 32
Chev Walker 4
George Smith
Michael DeVere
Raines 4/8
PoM Points
Kevin Sinfield…………….3
Chev Walker……………...2
Clinton Toopi……………..1
