So just a little tweaking, some careful training to look after sore bodies, and Wanganui is off for yet another Heartland final - and another away from home.
This time the Wanganui team will stay in Hicks Bay, some 40 minutes north of Ruatoria rather than Gisborne which is more than two hours away.
Coach Jason Caskey says the fact that Wanganui has visited Ruatoria this year (and lost) will help the preparation.
"Definitely it will help - we won't get caught by surprise this time.
"For the majority of the guys it was their first trip up there, and it's a totally different place to go," Caskey said.
"Hopefully we've got a better preparation organised this time - a 40-minute trip rather than two hours. There's a bit more travel on the Friday, but not on the Saturday."
The players appear very keen to try to right the ledger after the last defeat up there.
Very busy No8 Darren Munro, much happier with his game after a rather loose effort against King Country, may have a popped ear drum, but he's going ...
"One to go, bring on Ruatoria," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. They'll come from far and wide for it up there - I say, 'bring it on, I can't wait'."
Munro says Wanganui's away efforts this season - apart from the round-robin win against Wairarapa Bush, have been below par and the players have to do something about that.
"I love going to other fields and I think we owe ourselves a performance for an away game - our away performances have been pretty sub-standard this year.
"We owe it to ourselves as a team to go up there and really perform.
"They're a good team and they've got some good players, but they're no better than us."
Wanganui will be pretty sore after Saturday's huge battle.
"The side looked in major trouble at 23-20 up with 22 minutes to go and Wairarapa Bush starting to play with some steam with a near gale behind them.
But the home forwards, backed up by a superb effort from halfback Matt Koubaridis and the powerhouse midfield of Rhema Sagote and Saul Chase, grabbed the ball for long periods and refused to give it to Wai Bush to play with.
Fraser Hammond was outstanding for the first 60 minutes before being replaced, and lock Jon Smyth, Munro, captain Peter Rowe, props Shaun McDonough and Vaan Rauhina, and hooker Roman Tutauha led the way.
To give them all credit, the remainder were right behind.
Wai Bush could not find a way through and ran out of ideas in that final quarter.
Earlier, they had freed up left wing flier Nathan Hunt for a 50-metre try on halftime, and right wing Inia Katia for a second-half 18th minute try when Wai Bush went blind from a five-metre scrum under the home posts.
But the gaps were plugged from that point, and much to the relief of all, Steelform Wanganui got home.
Now for Ruatoria.