Having just a couple of practice sessions together, their game naturally revolved around hard running and one-handed offloads, and they would score first putting the ball through the hands.
Development replied through second-five Elijah Ah Chong, normally a winger, as he ran a great line from a scrum win to dash through and score.
Marton hit back swiftly as they kept the ball alive with a charge up the middle as several players ran with the ball one-handed to sweep to the line for 12-7.
Ah Chong got a double as following a burst by prop Raymond Salu, who was stepping back from the Wanganui senior team, Ah Chong grubber kicked ahead and claimed the ball at the tryline pile-up of players to force it.
A whooping Ah Chong was sure he had got his hat trick when Marton Samoans spilled the ball and it was hacked into the in-goal, but the referee ruled the defender had got a hand to it first.
Marton Samoans again got the lead back when the forwards drove under the posts early in the first half, but a melee after the try was awarded brought about the first of Marton's discipline issues as a player was sinbinned.
It did not seem like it would matter much as with Marton Samoans leading 19-14, the heavens opened as the storm drenched the chilly ground, making the already difficult handling just treacherous and seemingly unlikely either team could score again.
Marton's discipline issues continued unabated as they had another forward sinbinned inside the last ten minutes, then had to defend tap kick after tap kick following repeated infringements.
Development got close enough that their forwards, who had retained structure despite the soapy ball and the hard body hits, were able to try a couple of scrum drives, but they lost possession right on the tryline with time nearly up.
Fielding a high Marton clearance, Pascoe brought the ball back from the 40m mark and somehow slipped his way through with steps and pirouettes, being brought down beside the posts and right into the giant puddle that had formed.
The tacklers had partially lifted him and Pascoe's momentum was enough to keep sliding over the line, although being completely submerged in water he had no idea the try was scored until he resurfaced to hear the cheers of his team mates.
The quick conversion was missed for the match to end in a stalemate.
Despite the game being unlikely to resemble this weekend's RDO Shield opener against Wairarapa Bush Development in any way, coach Denis Edwards was satisfied that at least his players had their physicality tested.
"I was playing players in different positions, so that was good.
"I'm probably looking for a second-five.
"It was a scrappy game anyway. I was happy with the forwards, I thought they played well.
"We were trying to play patterns but it went away in the end, in the conditions."
Edwards was thankful for the presence of Salu and the veterans who put their hands up at short notice.
