This story was first published on Wednesday September 4.
A physical clash between Waikato and Wellington boiled over into a chaotic clash tonight with both sides receiving yellow cards throughout the fixture.
Wellington were reduced to 14 men after winger Malo Tuitama deliberately knocked down a pass but things got worse for the visitors as they lost another to a brain explosion from front rower Tolu Fahamokioa.
Fahamokioa found himself at the bottom of a ruck when Waikato No.8 Jordan Manihera came through attempting a clear out.
As a result, Manihera clipped Fahamokioa's head with his knee which the Wellington prop appeared to respond to by throwing a punch towards the Waikato loosie's groin.
The action sparked a heated exchange between the two sides and eventually saw the duo both yellow carded by the ref, making the game a 13-on-14 match for nearly five minutes.
Besides the scuffle, things went from bad to worse for Wellington as they were stunned 43-31 by Waikato at FMG Stadium.
Waikato used territory and pressure to build a 19-0 halftime lead and despite a second half resurgence from the visitors, held on in large part thanks to a hat trick by Sevu Reece.
The victory was Waikato's first of the season while Wellington now sit with two wins and two losses.
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