The Butcher Boys have enjoyed a good record of slaying the Swamp Foxes over the past 93 years and that trend should continue at Cooks Gardens on Saturday when Thames Valley try to outsmart Wanganui in the sixth qualifying round of the Mitre 10 Heartland rugby championship.
Wanganui, the defending Meads
Cup champions, currently head the eight-round qualifying table with the visitors 10th in the 12-union competition.
Although Wanganui is the only unbeaten team this season there have been close games against second-placed South Canterbury and Lochore Cup champions King Country but to qualify top for the play-offs next month the winning sequence must be maintained.
South Canterbury (22 points), last year's runners-up, only trail Wanganui (24) by two points with Buller (21) and Wairarapa-Bush (19) in hot pursuit.
With Mid Canterbury (17), King Country (16) and North Otago (15) also in the running for semifinal berths, results over the final three qualifying rounds, and especially bonus points, will be vital.
Since the start of Heartland rugby in 2006 the Swamp Foxes have only once qualified in the Meads Cup group, finishing sixth in 2010.
Wanganui has won 26 of the 32 games played between the two unions with Valley winning the first game 10-6 at Te Aroha in 1923. Wanganui has won 11 times from 15 trips north, playing at Paeroa, Te Aroha, Waihi and Thames.
On 17 visits to Wanganui there have been just two victories for the visitors - 15-11 in 1926 and 31-12 at Spriggens Park 28 years ago in 1988 when Valley won its first NPC Div 3 championship, depriving Wanganui of the title. The Foxes also won the title in 1990 and 1995. Wanganui won in 1989, 1996 and 2003, at seven year cycles.
The Wanganui teams that suffered local defeat at the hands of Thames Valley were -
1926 - A Duncan (Wanganui Pirates), A Hall (Hautapu), A Irwin (TCOB), W Wakeling (Wanganui Pirates), Albert Delves (TCOB), Jack Lockett (Kaierau), H Blythe (Wanganui OB), Lloyd Stewart (Kaierau), P Leahy (Taihape Pirates), R Murie (Wanganui OB), J Johnstone (Kaierau), Ed Sinclair (Taihape OB), Wire Pine (TCOB), L Fromont (Marist), E A Belliss (Kaierau).
Replacement centre W H Carlson (Wanganui OB) scored a try for WanganuiJ, Jack Lockett kicked a goal from a mark and Albert Delves kicked a penalty and conversion.
1988 - Arlan Taylor (Marist), Solomon Su'a (Marist), John Hainsworth (Marton OB), Tasi Su'a (Marist), Steve Gordon (Raetihi), Henry Tatapu (Wanganui HSOB), Whetu Mareikura (Ohakune - Karioi). Darryl Young (Wanganui Pirates), John Karatau (Wanganui HSOB), Trevor Olney (Marist), Peter Stratton (Utiku OB), Bruce Hansen (Marton OB), Adrian Bull (Utiku OB), Tala Leiasamaivao (Wanganui HSOB), Kevin Willis (Kaierau). Tasi Su'a and Young scored tries for Wanganui and Tasi Su'a kicked two conversions.
There have been eight NPC Div 2 games with Wanganui winning five times including 62-10 in the final game in 2004 at Te Aroha, the highest score between the two unions.
That winning Wanganui side was - Ace Malo (Kaierau); John Cleary (Wanganui OB), Jerry Meafou (Kaierau), Darren Firmin (Ratana), Leon Mason (Ratana); Josh Edwards (Pirates); Semis Taulava (Kairau); Andrew Evans (Ruapehu), Tomasi Kedrabuka (Fiji), Brendon Back (Inglewood), Scott Donald (Marist); Lance Devane (Utiku OB), Vaan Rauhina (Ratana), Mike Thompson (Pirates). Replacements: Matt Thompson (Pirates), Paul Bradley (Pirates), Raymond Lee Mason (Ratana), Peter Rowe (Taihape), Nemia Adrole (Kaierau), Filifili Samuela (Border), Shane Stone (Kaierau).
Malo (3), Mike Thompson (2), Evans, Taulava, Meafou, Cleary and Adrole scored tries with Firmin (4) and Bradley (2) kicking conversions.
Prior to the start of the NPC championships in 1986 Wanganui won all eight North Island Div 2 games against Thames Valley.
The highest placings by Wanganui were runners-up in 1976, 82, 83, 84 behind Taranaki and third in 1981 behind Wairarapa-Bush and Taranaki.
Over the past five years Valley has finished 8-10-8-9-9 on Heartland rankings but bobs up with the occasional surprise, like holding King Country to 22-all in Te Aroha last month.
The Foxes have been competitive in other fixtures this winter, containing Horowhenua-Kapiti to 30-34 in Paeroa, North Otago to 22-30 at Oamaru and Wairarapa-Bush to 18-26 in Masterton before crashing 62-16 at home to South Canterbury last weekend.
As is the case with many Heartland teams, loan players have been prominent for Thames Valley this season.
The Waikato trio of Melville first five Jonnie Te Ruki-Chambers (24 points including two tries), Matamata flanker Rupeni Vakacegu (two tries), and Te Awamutu Player of Origin No 8 Norman Solofa have all been in the scoring action.
Most capped players are fullback Lance Easton (58 caps), lock Kent McFarlane (32 games) and inside back Chris Doak (27 matches).
Easton is one of three current NZ Heartland reps in the squad, the others being fullback Tyrone Keith and mid-field back Moss Doran.
Tallest players are locks Matt Rolston (2.07m), Josh Elgoran (1.95m) and Onewhero loan player Kieran Whyte (1.95m) with another lock, Matt Rolston, the heaviest (126kg).
There will be a 120-year-old trophy at stake on Saturday when Wanganui Maori challenge Taranaki for the Tuera Shield at Cooks Gardens in the curtain-raiser to the Wanganui v Thames Valley Heartland championship fixture.
The trophy, first contested for in 1896, in the symbol of Maori rugby supremacy in the two neighbouring provinces with Taranaki holding a better overall record over the years.
Wanganui, however, was victorious on occasions, including during the 1950s, winning the trophy in 1951-52-53-55-57-58 in an era of Maori All Blacks Tommy Goldsmith (three-quarter - Marton OB)), Dixie McCarthy (fullback - Taihape), Theo Kipa (first five - Marist), Denny Hartley (flanker - Rata), Jack Karatau (hooker - Marton Athletic) and Bevan Jones (front row - Wanganui OB).
Other Wanganui Maori reps during the 1950s Tuera Shield reign included backs Peter and Graeme Jones (Wanganui OB), Mana Chase (Huia), Tommy Takarangi and Sammy Thompson (Kaierau), Grant Downs (Rata), Mo Aupouri (Hunterville) and Sonny Sturmey (Waverley) and forwards Mike Potaka and Bill Rewiti (Marist).
Wanganui's squad for Saturday's 12.45pm match includes 2015 Heartland reps Jaye Flaws (Taihape), Kieran Hussey (Border) and Tawhio Gupwell (Ruapehu), players from the Toyota Wanganui Development and age grade squads, Harerangi Meihana (Metro Colts) and local club premier graders.
Former Wanganui rep forwards Vaan Rauhina (54 games 2001-2013) and Justin Lock (41 caps 2007-2011) are coaching the Wanganui Maori on Saturday.
Wanganui is currently tops in points scoring (254), try-scoring (34), conceding the least points (84) and tries (11) and holds the best points differential (170) in the 2016 Heartland championship.
In addition young winger Te Rangatira Waitokia (9) has scored the most tries and now shares the Wanganui record of four tries in a game (in the 52-30 win over Poverty Bay last Saturday) with Pati Fetuia (65-18 v Thames Valley in 2006) and Cameron Crowley (71-6 v East Coast in 2008). The Wanganui and NZ Heartland record of most tries in a season is held by Fetuia with 14 in 2006.
Latest 2016 leading Heartland stats include -
Most wins - Wanganui 5, South Canterbury, Buller and Wairarapa 4, Mid Canterbury and King Country 3.
Most points - Wanganui 254, South Canterbury 230.Buller 192, North Otago 168, Mid Canterbury 164.
Most tries - Wanganui 34, South Canterbury 32, Buller 24, Mid Canterbury and North Otago 22, Poverty Bay 20.
Least points conceded - Wanganui 84, Wairarapa-Bush 96, Buller 100, King Country 106, South Canterbury 122.
Least tries conceded - Wanganui and Wairarapa-Bush 11, Buller and King Country 13, South Canterbury 16.
Highest scores - Wanganui 74, West Coast 6; Wanganui 74, East Coast 8; South Canterbury 62, Thames Valley 16.
Highest points differential - Wanganui 170, South Canterbury 108, King Country 106, Buller 92, Wairarapa-Bush 44.
Individual points - Jared Percival (Mid Canterbury) 68, Te Rangatira Waitokia (Wanganui) and James Lash (Buller) 54, Josh Casey (North Otago) 52.
Individual tries - Waitokia 9, Lash, Percival and Shae Tucker (North Otago) 6, Michael Nabuliwaqe (Wanganui) and Setafano Sauqaqa (Buller) 5.