Steelform Wanganui will be taking no chances with the delicate eligibility status of their Auckland import Jona Sawailau ahead of their long trip to Paeroa today for their second Mitre 10 Heartland match with Thames Valley.
Sawailau, a former Auckland colt and sevens representative, was stood down from last Saturday's record 79-7 destruction of Wairarapa-Bush, Wanganui's biggest victory in 110 games of Heartland rugby since 2006.
Co-coach Jason Hamlin, promoted alongside Jason Caskey this campaign, said the NZRFU has approved Sawailau's work visa status, but as the final paper-work was sent away on Wednesday, it was not likely to be signed off before today when the squad departs.
The team does not want to risk a $3000 fine and docking of any competition points.
"We're erring on the side of caution, we're not going to play him this week," said Hamlin.
Sawailau will therefore go back to Levin, where he debuted for Wanganui in preseason, to play for Wanganui Development XV in their RDO Shield matchup with Horowhenua-Kapiti Development.
Collegiate fullback Cody Hemi will stay with the team, which is likely to remain unchanged from the squad that ran in ten tries against Wairarapa-Bush.
The only concern is the sore ribs of dynamic flanker Fraser Hammond, with reserve Tremaine Gilbert on standby to start the match and Campbell Hart either joining them on the bench or heading to Levin for his first game in nearly three months after a frustratingly long recovery from groin strain.
"[Hart]'s been doing everything and feeling no pain, it's just a matter of doing it right, listening to the medical staff," said Hamlin.
Like Hammond, the other Wanganui workhorse to do the full 80 minutes last weekend was lock Sam Madams, in an acknowledgement of his growing importance to the team.
Now fourth-most capped forward behind Hammond and the captaining hookers Roman Tutauha and Cole Baldwin, Madams is working past his reputation for being overly aggressive, and could well be in line for a New Zealand Heartland XV jumper at the end of the season in the annual NZ Marist fixture.
Hamlin, who also coaches Madams at club level, said while the 27-year-old may like to hide behind the "boofhead" role, he has a very intelligent mind for the game.
"He wouldn't do that [New Zealand] jersey any disservice at all, he's well capable of playing at that level.
"He's golden, a trooper, a real hard worker."
After the giddy heights of last weekend, where virtually everything Wanganui tried came off, Hamlin and Caskey have spent this week getting feet back on the ground, introducing a mentality this season of trying to stick to the pre-match gameplan instead of "reverting to type" with all-out attack.
"We think we can get a little bit better around some of the things we're trying to do, and we're picking the other teams will get better."
It is hard to tell a guy like Timoci 'Jim' Seruwalu that after scoring hat tricks in consecutive matches he should follow process a little more, but with a tough away draw of two Canterbury games to come, every competition point and having a healthy differential will count.
"Pretty soon, everyone's going to be watching Jim and sending 2-3 guys around him, and when that happens, you need something else," said Hamlin.
As East Coast live-stream their Ruatoria games, the coaching staff got to watch some of Thames Valley's 42-13 win last week and can't afford to take the Swamp Foxes too lightly.
"Most year's when they're strong, they're a pretty big side and they look to be pretty direct," Hamlin said.
Kickoff is 2pm tomorrow