Du’Plessis Kirifi reveals the secret behind Wellington Lions’ success

As the Wellington Lions continue to hunt for their second NPC title in three years, captain Du’Plessis Kirifi has revealed the secret behind the team’s success. Wellington finished first at the end of the regular season, and they’re now preparing to host Waikato in the semi-finals.

With Ranfurly Shield holders Tarnaki and third-place Tasman both bowing out of the competition in shock quarter-final upsets, Wellington are now the only side left standing that finished in the top three on the ladder.

Bay of Plenty finished fourth with a 7-3 record, and they’re now preparing to host sixth-seed Canterbury at the Tauranga Domain on Saturday afternoon. The only semi-finalist is Waikato, who snuck into the playoffs with a record of five wins from 10 matches.

Results in the NPC have been unpredictable this season, and that’s been part of the competition’s charm as commentator Grant Nisbett recently suggested. But, the Lions have firmed as the favourites to take out the title with only a quartet remaining.

“We worked really hard to change things culturally a few years ago,” Kirifi said on SENZ’s The Run Home with Kirst & Beav.

“We had Leo Crowley, well going back a little bit to (Chris Gibbes) and (Tamaiti Ellison) more recently, and I guess that flow on effect, the positive impact that has a couple of years ago on the boys that are young and coming through, and now those boys that were young and coming through (are) incumbents in our team and playing regularly.

“You hope to make positive changes and you hope that those changes, like I said, have a flow-on effect and affect the team the following year and the year after that by setting good examples and stuff like that.

“We’re really proud of our environment. Everyone, even if they’re not playing or injured, we love coming to work and I think that helps and translates out onto a well-run, well-oiled team on the field.”

Wellington booked their place in the final four with a 29-14 win over Counties Manukau in the nation’s capital last Friday. All Blacks XV squad member Riley Higgins scored the opener, and captain Kirifi was the next man to cross for a five-pointer as the Lions built up a lead.

Counties clawed their way back into the contest but the Lions always appeared to be a step ahead. With the hosts ahead by 10 points, Kyle Preston raced away to seal the match with a try in the 73^rd minute.

That result avenged Wellington’s staggering loss to the same foe only two weeks earlier, with Counties taking out that regular season fixture 51-12. Counties led 48-nil at one stage before the Lions got themselves on the scoreboard with two late tries.

“They genuinely gave us a hiding when we went up there. Although we played poorly, I won’t take anything away from them, they played some amazing rugby that night,” Kirifi reflected.

“We knew that when they were coming down, they’d be running off that energy and that emotion. We had to be where we needed to be to beat them.

“We were lucky to have a few boys come back but every game presents different challenges and I think that one had a bit of an emotional flavour to it. Pride was a little bit hurt from that previous game so we definitely had a point to prove.

“We were lucky to be at home in front of our family and friends so that helped as well.

“Counties did extremely well to make the finals and we’re aware of the team that they can be on their night. We put things in place to stop them and I feel like we did a good job of that for the most part and other parts we had a little bit of room to improve.

“Hopefully we do that this week.

“We work extremely hard to not only qualify but qualify in a good position,” he had said earlier.

“To be fortunate enough to have a home game in the semi-finals is massive so the importance of doing that is not lost on us.

“But, you know, it’s not even half the job so still got a big old game ahead of us.”