Talking Rugby with John B. Phillips: Strong challenge ahead for Whanganui

Steelform Whanganui can expect a strong Jones Brothers Memorial Trophy challenge from the Taranaki Development XV at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.
It is a rare home defence for the Butcher Boys who lifted the trophy with a quite remarkable 53-5 victory over the Taranaki Trojans in Hawera last season.
That was only the second time in 34 years that Whanganui had beaten the amber and blacks since winning the union's centenary game 14-9 at Spriggens Park in 1987 under skipper Trevor Olney.

Whanganui beat a Taranaki Development XV 43-12 at Hawera in 2016, lost the trophy 17-6 at the same venue in 2019, but returned last year to outscore the hosts nine tries to one.
Five of those tries came from Fijians – Joeli Rauca (2), Peceli Malanicagi, Alekesio Vakarorogo and Timoci Seruwalu – who are in the local squad again this season.
Since the advent of professional rugby, Taranaki have proved too strong for Whanganui and understandably have fielded Development or B XV teams since the turn of the century.
The exception has been in Ranfurly Shield challenges when Ferdinand has put out top sides to win 51-7 at New Plymouth in 2012 and 33-10 at Hawera in 2018.

Taranaki fielded top teams in winning 88-5 at Hawera in 2000 and in the final Queen's Birthday Weekend game 38-15 at Cooks Gardens in 2001.
Apart from the two Ranfurly Shield clashes, Taranaki have won nine of 11 fixtures with Development XV, Country XV, B XV's or Trojan teams – 2003 (77-19 – Waverley), 2004 (37-5 – Cooks Gardens), 2005 (56-29 Eltham and 62-17 Waverley), 2006 (20-12 NP and 47-11 Cooks Gardens), 2007 (39-14 Spriggens Park), 2008 (34-22 Waverley), and 2019 (17-5 Hawera).
It will be interesting to see the strength of the Taranaki side on Saturday after the 48-point trophy loss in Hawera last year.

Taranaki were one of the strongest unions in the country in 2021, winning all 10 matches in claiming the second-tier NZ championship title including becoming the first union to win all four crossover fixtures against Div 1 sides, beating Waikato 33-26, Bay of Plenty 55-28, Hawke's Bay 33-19 and Wellington 32-25.
The union was rightly browned off that the NZRU did not operate an automatic promotion or playoff between the two major divisions last year.

Taranaki provided five All Blacks in 2021 with Whanganui-born Stephen Perofeta (an All Black this year) kicking 172 points for the union and winning the Bunnings MVP national award.
Another ex-Whanganui NZ Heartland rep, winger Vereniki Tikoisolomone, played all 10 games for Taranaki, scoring five tries.

Taranaki next
When the Taranaki XV meet Whanganui on Saturday it will be the first time in 16 years that the amber and blacks have played on Cooks Gardens.
The mountain province has fielded Maori teams here in recent years for Tuera Shield fixtures but this is the first time since 2006 that the Jones Brothers Memorial Trophy has been contested locally.

The trophy is named in memory of three Wanganui HSOB the Jones brothers, who repped for the union – five eighths Peter (47 games 1950-61), hooker Bevan (20 games 1949-54) and halfback Graeme (9 games 1958).
Saturday's match is the second of four non-first-class pre-Heartland warmup games for Steelform Whanganui.
The first resulted in a 38-15 loss to the Manawatu Evergreens on a muddy and wind-blown Johnston Park in Feilding last weekend.
The Butcher Boys, without a number of key players, played well to hold a strong Evergreens XV to 12-10 in the second spell after trailing 26-5 at halftime.
Although it was bitterly cold the fixture, played in four quarters, enabled new head selector-coach Jason Hamlin to give all his squad, which included quite a few newcomers, a good workout in wintry conditions.
Whanganui's three tries were scored by newcomers – Taihape halfback Kahl Elers-Green, Marist three-quarter Jack O'Leary and Kaierau lock Mason Johnston.
The Evergreens side included a number of players with Whanganui connections including Adam Boult and Waqa Nalaga who scored tries.
It is hoped that Whanganui will be near full strength for the Taranaki fixture.

Honours shared
The curtain has fallen on the smallest field of teams on the 44-year history of the Whanganui union-wide premier rugby championship but all five clubs can claim some degree of satisfaction.
Border remarkably upset top qualifiers Taihape in a thrilling final at Cooks Gardens, Ngamatapouri qualified for the playoffs for the first time, Kaierau surprisingly won the Challenge Shield and Marist provided the MVP runner-up as well as emerging senior champions.

Although losing both the premier title and Challenge trophy, Byfords Readi-Mix were quite clearly the leading force in the 2022 Tasman Tanning two-grade competition, retaining the Weekes Cup as the overall top club with second place in the premier championship final and winning the senior consolation.
In addition Taihape provided 13 players to the inaugural Steelform extended representative training squad.

Taihape premiers, winners of the Paul Mitchell Cup as unbeaten first-round winners, dropped only one of 10 fixtures – 17-20 at the Kaierau Country Club.
After an unexpected qualifying campaign, losing four of eight matches, Waverley Harvesting Border sprung the boilover of the season with the tense 16-15 win over Taihape in the premier final to achieve only the third three-peat title claim in the history of the championship which started in 1978.
Considering the side had been thrashed 77-7 in Taihape and 51-15 at home, to come out and confound the pundits was a remarkable achievement and a feather in the cap of retiring coach Cole Baldwin.
Regardless of the two earlier heavy defeats this year, Border were able to field a dozen Whanganui current or former reps (154 caps) for the final to outsmart Taihape (nine reps and 278 caps) in the final.

Whanganui reps in the epic final and their games for the union were –
Border – Backs: Lindsay Horrocks (82), Craig Clare (40), Nick Harding (22), Alekesio Vakarorogo (13), Tom Symes (4), Andy Hamilton (3). Forwards: Angus Middleton (26), Hamish Mellow (21), Renato Tikoisolomone (19), Semi Vodosese (13), Kieran Hussey (8), Jack Hodges (2).
Taihape – Backs: Dane Whale (58), Tyler Rogers-Holden (20), Jaye Flaws (9), Jamie Hughes (3). Forwards: Roman Tutauha (81), Jamie Hughes (51), Gabriel Hakaraia (35), Peter Travis Hay-Horton (15), Ben whale (6),
In addition there were five new Taihape players who had been included in the 2022 Whanganui extended training squad.

Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri beat Border 14-0 in the first round, came close to exiting the champions in the Waverley semifinal, held Taihape to 25-19 and deserved to finish third overall.
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau ran hot and cold but notched notable close home wins over both finalists including lifting the Challenge Shield in handing out the only victory over Taihape with halfback Caleb Gray (ex-Otago) winning the MVP award.
After winning the consolation title three years in a row, Kaierau reached a fourth successive Top Four despite dropping from runners-up to fourth.
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist missed qualifying by a single point despite beating Ngamat on the final qualifying day.
Marist, however, were second in the Top Club as was heavyweight prop Keightly Watson in the MVP awards.

Premier club summary
Waverley Harvesting Border (Champions) –
Played 10, Won 6, Lost 4. Points for 230, Against 262, Differential minus 32 pts. Average match score 23-26. Tries for 29, Against 40. Try scorers 14.
Qualified 2nd – Played 8, Won 4, Lost 4, Points for 188, Against 227, Differential minus 39 pts, Bonus points 6, Champion pts 22.