Season by Season Record 2007
On a grey and windy August afternoon in 2007, Wellington rugby fans paid tribute to its most celebrated player of the modern era when Tana Umaga bowed out of rugby in New Zealand in his 100th game for Wellington after more than 13 seasons and well over 300 first class games under his belt including 74 Tests for the All Blacks.
Such was his mana and leadership, Umaga stayed around long after the round three Air New Zealand Cup game against Manawatu game had finished giving speeches, signing autographs and acknowledging all his supporters young and old.
Umaga’s retirement also coincided with the ushering in of a new generation of Lions players, such as energetic hooker Dane Coles who came on as a replacement in the first game of the season against Otago and immediately scored two tries and first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick who kicked a valuable 13 points on debut against Counties-Manukau.
Results wise, it was another season of close but not quite for the Lions – finishing runners-up in the National Provincial Championship for the fourth time in five seasons. They eventually lost 14-23 in the final to Auckland at Eden Park, after previously beating them 44-21 in a pre-season match at Westpac Stadium.
The team finished the representative season with an eight win-three loss record under new coach Aussie Mclean who was appointed for what transpired as a one-season stint before returning to concentrate on his role as assistant coach of the Hurricanes.
The start of the round robin was eventful, beating Otago 68-7 in round one, then losing to Hawke’s Bay 6-8 a week later in Napier in a game overshadowed by Neemia Tialata being infamously knocked out in a lineout by his opposite Clint Newland.
They went on to beat Southland 45-3 in a home quarterfinal and then defeated Canterbury 26-21 in the semi-final in Christchurch – for their first victory in Christchurch in seven years. Long-serving centre Tane Tu’pulotu proved the individual hero of that match, scoring two tries. Another record created was winning every game at home by bonus point margins (scoring four tries or more).
Captain for the year and second five-eighth Tamati Ellison capped off a fine season by collecting the Wellington Player of the Year award and Jimmy Gopperth’s 171 points tally was the fourth highest in a single season by a player for Wellington.
The Hurricanes faced an uphill battle from the start, deprived of six All Blacks for the first seven rounds and finishing eighth. They did however achieve several excellent wins at Westpac Stadium, including a memorable defeat of eventual champions the Bulls.
Umaga, Paul Tito, Lome Fa’atau and Luke Andrews all played their final games for the Hurricanes together in the final game of the season in Wellington against the Waratahs.
In club rugby, Northern United won the Swindale Shield and Hutt Old Boys Marist won their first ever Jubilee Cup, beating Marist St. Pat’s 18-10 in the final and became the fifth winner in the past six years.
Nine players gained Test caps for the All Blacks and Wellington players also represented Samoa, New Zealand Maori, the Junior All Blacks, the New Zealand Sevens team, the Black Ferns and New Zealand age grade sides.
Match Record
Played: 11, Won: 8, Lost: 3
Points For 483, Points Against 240