Rugby: Wanganui win Meads Cup

Wanganui goalkicker Mark Davis added six consecutive penalties and a conversion to take advantage of East Coast's consistent indiscretions. Photo / Bevan Conley

"We didn't have 15 players on the field. That's what killed us.''

Disconsolate words from East Coast rugby captain Rua Tipoki after today's 30-10 defeat to Wanganui in the Meads Cup rugby Heartland final in Wanganui.

Also the team's assistant coach, Tipoki was speaking from being very close to the action. He was yellow-carded for a punch in the 61st minute when East Coast trailed by just two points. Eight minutes later, player-coach Ngarimu Simpkins was similarly penalised for an altercation with Wanganui prop Shaun McDonough.

While both were off, Wanganui crossed through Simon Dibben and added another at the end with captain and second five-eighths Steelie Koro strolling through a non-existent defence from a team that had run out of puff.

Wanganui goalkicker Mark Davis also added six consecutive penalties and a conversion to take advantage of East Coast's consistent indiscretions.

East Coast's points came from a runaway intercept try from right wing Tom Teaeki from a Davis pass.

But while Davis had an up-and-down game, he finished the Heartland season as the competition's leading points-scorer with 129 points and Wanganui coach Jason Caskey complimented him for not going into his shell after a couple of mistakes.

"I'm happy and relieved, and proud of the way they stuck to the task,'' said first-season head coach Caskey. Previously he's been assistant in the side's two previous Meads Cup wins - and also in their three finals losses.

"We made mistakes but it came from East Coast pressure. They should be proud of the way they played. Coast played to their strengths and they were outstanding in that first half. They cut our flow down and we couldn't get anything going.''

But East Coast never threatened the Wanganui line outside Teaeki's intercept try, with the home defence being outstanding.

So it became a matter of Wanganui applying the pressure, kicking the goals and then scoring the tries when East Coast ran out of players and puff. All told, the visitors were shown three yellow cards, with lock Willie Waitoa also getting one after 36 minutes.

Tipoki said the plan "was to just go out and play rugby and not leave anything in the tank''. He complimented his players on their drastic improvement from their winless season in 2010.

"It's been a team effort. It's taken the players to get us to where we are. We are proud to play the role we did.''

Tipoki said the match was the last of his career.

"We've got the ball rolling now and there are lots of young, talented players up on East Coast. They should take the lesson from this game. They've played the best now and they've competed with the best.''

But today, Wanganui were better.

Wanganui 30 (Steelie Koro, Simon Dibben tries; Mark Davis 6 pens, con) East Coast 10 (Tom Teaeki try; Clayton Kiwara pen, con). HT: 9-7.