The win lifts Waikato to second on the Championship ladder and marks three years to the day since they last lifted the Shield against Hawke's Bay who they'll play in their first defence on Thursday.
It took just 90 seconds for Waikato to get on the board when skipper Dwayne Sweeney scored the opening try of the match.
Taranaki answered back not long after when the Waikato defence paid too much attention to Seta Tamanivalu and left a gaping hole for sevens speedster Regan Ware to score.
