Poverty Bay held it for two 2022 defences before losing to rising neighbours East Coast, who would rattle off six successful defences over a two-season run which also saw them lift to winning the 2022 Lochore Cup and making the 2023 Meads Cup semifinals.
But coming into this campaign, East Coast lost the taonga right on fulltime to Buller, who were then well-beaten by King Country in Westport, who in turn lost a grinding wet-weather derby with Thames Valley in Te Kūiti 23-18 last Saturday.
“[Vice-captain] Doug Horrocks had mapped this out when Buller beat East Coast - turns out he was right,” said Whanganui coach Jason Hamlin of the hot-potato tenures.
The challenge heightens the Swampfoxes-Butcher Boys rivalry, which has been a battle for North Island supremacy during this era of South Canterbury’s Meads Cup success.
Starting with Thames Valley’s shocking upset of an unbeaten Whanganui in the 2018 Meads Cup semifinal, the teams have met seven times, including a further three semifinals, with Whanganui just ahead in the tally 4-3.
Packed with quality veterans like Connor McVerry, Todd Donlan, Alex Thrupp, Cam Dromgool and Laulea Mau, Thames Valley have made a strong start to 2024 with wins over Wairarapa Bush (37-24), North Otago (24-15) and the taonga victory.
Despite there being few faults in Whanganui’s record-breaking 91-7 victory over Buller, with 15 tries the most ever for the union, the step up in opposition means some squad changes.
Vice-captain Dane Whale and Manawatū-based expat Griffin Culver return to the halves, with Ethan Robinson moving back to second five ahead of Cyrus Tasi, who in a correction from the Buller match report scored his first Heartland try, not lock Peter-Travis Hay-Horton.
Matt Ashworth comes back into the starting line-up to partner Hay-Horton, with young locks Reuben Allen and Ngapuke Patea bracketed at Thursday training for the reserve spot, while also returning to the bench after his late scratching from Buller is another veteran in Samu Kubunavanua.
Unfortunately, winger Lafo Takiari Ah Ching is suffering delayed concussion effects and goes on medical stand-down, so again Hamlin has chosen a steady pair of hands, with Josaia Bogileka taking the spot.
“It’s good to have someone the ability and experience of Josaia to come in, and then someone like Mitai [Hemi] making the most of his opportunities,” said Hamlin.
“The players took their opportunities [with Buller], but we’re just leaning back to what we know with people that have done the job in the past.
“They’re the best tools for this weekend.
“We tell the players to keep on working on the things we’ve been trying to push and promote.”
Hamlin praised the likes of halfback Eben Claassen and reserve forward Joseph Abernethy for strong efforts against Buller, as they step away this week.
Saturday will also be the blazer match (15 appearances) for both hooker Alesana Tofa and dynamic flanker Josefa Namosimalua.
The squad flies out to Hamilton on Friday, where they will stay the night before bussing north to Thames for the 2.30pm kickoff.
The match forms part of a crucial halfway section of the round-robin with two away matches against tough opponents.
“You can’t win [the championship] in the first week, but you can go a hell of a long way to make it harder for yourselves,” said Hamlin.
Development side go down
There were just not quite enough bodies for the McFall Fuel Whanganui Development XV to maintain their perfect season record after a narrow 47-44 loss to Wairarapa Barbarians in Masterton on Saturday.
In the rematch of the 41-7 victory at Spriggens Park in August, this time the Development XV was missing several players promoted from that game into the Steelform Whanganui match-day squad back at Cooks Gardens, and had couple more unavailable to make the trip to the artificial turf at Memorial Park.
“You add a couple of injuries and you drop down to 13 [on the field], and it makes it hard,” said coach Danny Tamehana.
“It was actually a really good game. I said to the boys, ‘Roll your socks up and go out there and play rugby’.
“And they did - they were eyes-up.”
Covering stopgaps meant players like promising young flanker Isaac Jordan had to play on the wing, while the starting eight of the forward pack contained six front rowers - sacrificing mobility.
However, one of them can go full speed - as after nearly two months on the sideline recovering from a calf muscle infection, dynamic 17-game Whanganui prop Raymond Salu returned to action.
Despite still having a touch of the flu, on the fast turf Salu got his team on the front foot with devastating carries, scoring a try.
“Those runs of his, unbelievable,” said Tamehana.
Whanganui apprentice player Joseph Cowley likewise impressed at prop, joining Salu in making yards up the middle, while first five Sheldon Pakinga continued his good form with ball in hand.
Returning skipper Daniel Kauika was having a fine game until untimely injury, and with Whanganui’s bench empty, front rower Raponi Tofa ended up having to cover Kauika’s halfback position.
Being unable to rotate a fresh reserves bench, Whanganui did not have much left in the tank at the end of the game when they were trying to push for a match-winning try.
“I was still pretty proud of the boys, to be honest. They fought with a lot of mana,” said Tamahana.
