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Wellington 54 Auckland 19
Wellington - Savea, Aumua, Garden-Bachop, Perenara, Patafilo, Love & Higgins 2 tries; Garden-Bachop 5 conversions, Morgan 2 conversions
Auckland - Jones, Tuipulotu & Pugh tries; Plummer 2 conversions
Second half
39th minute - Plummer and Plumtree, Blues teammates, have a bit of a wrestle, but here's only one winner tonight.
TRY to Love
Wellington reach 50, when a crossfield kick bounces cruelly for the Auckland defence and Love scores untouched.
38th minute - From the kickoff, Morgan kicks long and Trainor tries to launch an attack. Auckland enter Wellington territory, but lose the ball.
36th minute - TRY to Higgins
Love kicks long, Trainor has to retreat to gather, but he has no support and the Lions turn the ball over. Ball goes right where Higgins takes an inside pass from Proctor to score.
Morgan converts from out wide, WEL 47-19
35th minute - Auckland have another penalty on halfway and Plummer finds touch near the 22.
34th minute - Tuipulotu... cut and paste.
33rd minute - Wellington wins the defensive scrum and Love clears from his goal-line to halfway.
32nd minute - Tuipulotu carries a third time, but Auckland are accidentally offside under the posts.
31st minute - Auckland enter the 22, with Tuipulotu carrying strongly twice.
30th minute - Auckland win a penalty from a scrum on halfway and Plummer finds touch on the 22.
28th minute - TRY to Tuipulotu
Plummer makes a break towards the line and finds Trainor. Lam is held up, but when the forwards take over, Tuipulotu plunges over from close range.
Plummer pulls his conversion, WEL 40-19
27th minute - Auckland scrum wins a penalty, but the forwards storm towards the 22.
26th minute - Blackwell wins a lineout on halfway, but Auckland pin Wellington inside their own half. Morgan's pass goes into touch.
25th minute - Wellington have an attacking lineout, but no-one knows the call and Aumua is eventually called for baulking.
24th minute - This contest is basically over and both teams making mass substitutions. From the kickoff, Wellington storm back into Auckland territory, with Kirifi making a big carry, before he's tackled high.
Doleman calls the penalty.
22nd minute - TRY to Patafilo
Delany wins a lineout inside the Auckland 22 and Kirifi storms towards the tryline. When the ball shifts left, Patafilo steps inside the last defender to score.
Garden-Bachop guides his conversion between the uprights, WEL 40-14
21st minute - Plumtree replaces Bird for Wellington.
20th minute - Wellington win a scrum penalty on halfway.
19th minute - Bird wins another lineout in the Auckland half, but his pass to Kirifi is knocked on.
18th minute - Hickey tries a little chip over the top, but it's partially charged down. Auckland stream through on Love, but Doleman eventually rules Proctor was pushed off the ball.
17th minute - Peita replaces Jones among the Auckland loose forwards. Hickey kicks off and Blackwell fields for Wellington.
16th minute - TRY to Perenara
From the scrum, Savea runs hard and puts Auckland on the backfoot. As the forwards storm towards the posts, Perenara capitalises on the quick recycle to score.
15th minute - Aumua's throw to the lineout is astray again, but Auckland can't clear and Wellington win another scrum feed five metres out. Lay replaces Hodgman in the Auckland front row.
14th minute - Dalzel steals the Wellington throw and Funaki clears his 22.
Bird wins another lineout and Wellington shift right, where Trainor rips the ball away from Savea, but falls into touch for another Lions throw.
13th minute - Auckland hard against their goal-line with a defensive lineout and try to run it out. Eventually, Hickey clears from his in-goal area, finding touch near the 22.
12th minute - Trainor fields a high kick, but Wellington turn the ball over and enter the Auckland 22, winning a penalty. Perenara takes a quick tap, but Higgins is pushed out in the corner... called a no-try and confirmed by replay.
11th minute - From the scrum, Perenara sends the ball right, where Love makes another great run.
10th minute - Auckland clear a scrum near their own 22, but Wellington counter-ruck at the breakdown and win a scrum in midfield.
Seventh minute - Wellington throw to a lineout near the Auckland 10 and Bird wins again. Higgins scythes through the traffic, but Kirifi can't take the offload with the tryline open.
Sixth minute - Apisai throws to a lineout on halfway and Tuipulotu wins it. Auckland rumble towards the 22 and Aoake makes a couple of busting runs, but Auckland turn the ball over.
Fifth minute - Big scrum from Auckland, who win a penalty to clear. That's a big turnaround from the first half.
Fourth minute - Wellington have an attacking scrum on the Auckland 22, but Auckland win a free-kick for an early engagement. They will take another scrum, as time stands still.
Third minute - Wellington kick off and Pugh loses the ball in a tackle. Kirifi is stunned, but will continue for the Lionds.
Apisai has replaced Vikena at hooker for Auckland.
First minute - TRY to Pugh
From the Auckland kickoff, Renata goes on a bumping run into the Wellington 22 and the forwards drive to the tryline, where Pugh plunges over. Plummer converts, WEL 26-14
First half
40th minute - Garden-Bachop kicks off, Pugh jumps to claim the ball, but is hammered in a tackle on landing and loses the ball. Wellington have one more attacking chance off a scum on the Auckland 22.
Wellington lose the ball out of the scrum, Auckland break out of their own 22, but the ball goes loose in a tackle and that's the first half done.
38th minute - TRY to Jones
Hickey's clearance is high, but not to touch. Auckland bustle Wellington off the ball at the breakdown and break upfield, where Jones has too much speed to score.
37th minute - Wellington inside the Auckland half, after a big run from Lakai. Numia loses the ball in a tackle and Auckland try to run it out of their 22.
36th minute - Sheck replaces a limping Cowan in the Wellington front row. Auckland on attack again, but making little headway against the Lions defence, and Bird steals the ball.
33rd minute - TRY to Garden-Bachop
Auckland lose their lineout throw and Wellington enter the 22 again, with Higgins surging towards the posts. When the ball goes left, Garden-Bachop slices through the defence to score.
He converts his own try from wide left, WEL 26-0
32nd minute - Bird wins another lineout on the Auckland 10 and Wellington are dangerous again. Powerful run from Numia, but the ball goes loose, when it moves left.
31st minute - Garden-Bachop clears halfway with his goal-line dropout and Auckland run the ball back. Wellington steal the ball and Perenara kicks deep, but Lam responds in kind.
30th minute - Pugh wins the lineout, but their maul disintegrates. Gibson is held up over the line, Wellington can drop out from their goal-line.
29th minute - Vikena's long throw is gathered by Plummer and Wellington are penalised at the breakdown inside their 22. Hickey kicks to the corner for another lineout.
28th minute - Blackwell fields the kickoff and is driven back, but Perenara finds touch outside his 22.
25th minute - TRY to Aumua
Bird wins the lineout and Aumua goes on a charge. Wellington shift right, where Aumua is lurking on the wing and he is too strong for the scrambling defence.
Garden-Bachop fades his sideline conversion between the posts, WEL 19-0
24th minute - Wellington win a lineout near their own line, but Auckland are offside and Garden-Bachop can clear his 22 with a touchfinder that finds Auckland territory.
23rd minute - Auckland kick to the corner and Tupulotu wins the short throw to the lineout. Pugh peels off the maul, but he's tackled into touch.
22nd minute - Tuipulotu wins the lineout and Auckland try to maul, but make no ground. Funaki releases the ball to Plummer on an angle.
They have another penalty advantage, Tuipulotu is stopped short of the tryline and eventually Doleman comes back for the penalty against Kirifi.
21st minute - Bird wins the lineout, but Numia is pinged for picking up a loose ball from an offside position. Hickey kicks to the corner for an attacking Auckland lineout.
20th minute - Bird wins the lineout and Auckland don't contest, but hold up the maul. Garden-Bachop kicks accros the field, but Trainor is safe and clears.
19th minute - Doleman penalites Renata in the Auckland front row and Wellington have another chance inside the 22. Garden-Bachop kicks to the corner.
18th minute - Another defensive feed to the scrum from Auckland and this spelt trouble last time...
16th minute - From the scrum, Wellington shift right and Love splits the defence. Higgins carries the movement on, but his offload to Kirifi is spilt and the chance goes astray.
15th minute - Perenara feeds a defensive scrum and clears his 22, but Trainor misjudges the bounce and knocks on.
13th minute - Auckland string together 18 phases and finally Plummer get them into the Wellington 22, but Hickey can't hold a pass, as he runs an aggressive line towards the posts.
12th minute - From the kickoff, Perenara chips behind the Auckland defence and Funaki tidies up an awakwardly bouncing ball. Auckland mount an attack outside the Wellington 22.
Ninth minute - TRY to Higgins
Big scrum from Wellington wins a tighthead, Garden-Bachop chips over the Auckland defence, the bounce eludes Tuipulotu, and Higgins is there to gather and score. Garden-Bachop converts from a handy angle, WEL 12-0
Eighth minute - Aumua, whose first lineout throw was too long, isn't straight with his second throw, so Auckland have a defensive feed to the scrum on their 22.
Seventh minute - Hickey kicks off for Auckland and Wellington control, but Kirifi wins a penalty at the breakdown and Auckland are already in trouble with their infringing.
Fifth minute - TRY to Savea
Higgins bursts over the Auckland 22 to within a few metres of the posts and when the ball shifts right, Savea steps inside the corner flag to open the scoring. Garden-Bachop leaves his sideline conversion right, trying to play for the headwind, WEL 5-0
Fourth minute - Wellington have another advntage, but Garden-Bachop breaks the defence and throws a long pass to Savea on the right wing. Auckland scramble to defend and eventually clear, but Hickey's kick doesn't find touch.
Third minute - Aumua's throw is too long and Vikena tidies up for Auckland, Love fields the clearing kick and Wellington launch another attack, winning penalty advantage at the breakdown.
Second minute - Vikena hits Love with a late, no-arms tackle and Doleman awards the penalty in midfield on halfway. Garden-Bachop finds touch inside the Auckland 22.
First minute - Auckland will have benefit of a wind at their backs in the first half, while James Doleman has the whistle for tonight's contest.
Garden-Bachop kicks off for Wellington, Auckland control and Hickey kicks high from his 22.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NPC semi-final between Wellington and Auckland at Wellington's Sky Stadium, affectionately known as the 'Cake Tin'.
After a shaky start to their campaign, including back-to-back defeats to Canterbury and Northland, the Lions have reeled off eight straight wins, overcoming Hawke's Bay last week to reach the final four.
Veteran All Blacks TJ Perenara and Julian Savea have been instrumental in their resurgence, which also saw them lock away the Ranfurly Shield for the summer.
On the other hand, Auckland have struggled for consistency all season and needed a penalty after the final siren to pip crosstown rivals North Harbour in the quarter-finals.
The northerners will be inconvenienced by the absence of All Blacks Angus Ta'avao, Akira Ioane and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck for this encounter.
Join us at 7pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Wellington $1.42, draw $18, Auckland $2.90
Auckland: 1-Alex Hodgman, 2-Soane Vikena, 3-Marcel Renata, 4-Hamish Dalzel, 5-Patrick Tuipulotu, 6-Blake Gibson, 7-Niko Jones, 8-Jackson Pugh, 9-Taufa Funaki, 10-Simon Hickey, 11-Tomas Aoake, 12-Harry Plummer (c), 13-Bryce Heem, 14-AJ Lam, 15-Jordan Trainor
Reserves: 16-Leni Apisai, 17- Jordan Lay, 18-Sione Ahio, 19-Josh Beehre, 20-Terrell Peita, 21-Manu Paea, 22-Corey Evans, 23. Joel Cobb
Wellington: 1-Xavier Numia, 2-Asafo Aumua, 3-Pekahou Cowan, 4-James Blackwell, 5-Dominic Bird, 6-Caleb Delany, 7-Du'Plessis Kirifi (c), 8-Peter Lakai, 9-TJ Perenara, 10-Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11-Pepesana Patafilo, 12-Riley Higgins, 13-Billy Proctor, 14-Julian Savea, 15-Ruben Love
Reserves: 16-Josh Southall, 17-PJ Sheck, 18-Tietie Tuimauga, 19-Taine Plumtree, 20-Keelan Whitman, 21-Richard Judd, 22-Aidan Morgan, 23-Connor Garden-Bachop
