Rugby: Comfortable win for Whanganui Development side against King Country

Josefa Rokotakala, pictured in action for Kaierau earlier this season, dotted down for the Development XV. Photo / Lewis Gardner

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After a distinct lack of rugby that stretched back to the end of the Tasman Tanning Premier club season, the Whanganui Development XV got their campaign off to a winning start in Te Kuiti on Saturday.

The side picked up an ultimately comfortable 27-12 win over King Country Development, scoring five tries to two at Rugby Park.

Selected in early August and having only two training runs before the level 4 lockdown, the Development side had a very small window to get ready for their remade draw, including a session against the Steelform Whanganui Heartland squad.

"A lot of the guys haven't played for a couple of months. I thought they did a pretty good job," said coach Cole Baldwin, victorious in his representative coaching debut.

"It was fiercely contested. We should have won by a little bit more.

"All in all, they put it on the line for the union."

Whanganui Metro's star player Jack O'Leary continues to be a try-scoring machine, adding a double to the 28 tries he got during the MRU Colts season.

Whanganui Heartland wider squad lock Josefa Rokotakala dotted down, as did Ngamatapouri and former Fiji Warriors player Temesi (Murivalu) Vurakania and Taihape winger Ryan Karatau, who added the only successful conversion.

Taihape loose forward Regan Collier was the player of the day for a strong performance.

The Whanganui Development XV will now play two games at home – the first was originally scheduled to be Wairarapa Bush Māori but Baldwin understands the game will now likely be against Thames Valley Development.

This team is now the sole active adult squad below Heartland level as the Whanganui Māori and Under 20s had finished their short campaigns, while Whanganui Pasifika had been scheduled to play Manawatū Pasifika the week level 4 was implemented, with that game now cancelled.