Wanganui rugby coach Guy Lennox will have a very strong message for his team next week despite a 41-6 Heartland Championship win over East Coast in Wanganui today.
The Heartland titleholders were far from their best, particularly in scrambling to a lead of 17-6 at halftime.
They eventually scored eighttries but Wanganui were well short of the standards they set last year.
Lennox estimated his side turned the ball over 23 times simply due to a lack of skill.
Pluses on a average day were the sound forward set pieces, a hat-trick of tries for Wellington-based second five-eighth Fraser Middleton and a strong start from big centre Vance Pereka.
Blindside flanker Fraser Hammond and lock Jon Smyth were the best of the home side's forwards.
