With 73 caps for Steelform Whanganui, halfback Lindsay Horrocks brings a wealth of experience for Jason Caskey's side. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui will start firm favourites to open the 2021 Heartland rugby championship season with the scalp of Horowhenua-Kāpiti at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.
Previous results – 11 wins from 13 Heartland fixtures since 2006 – clearly indicate the overall relative strength Whanganui have over their southern neighbour.
The visitors have managed only one championship success in seven visits during the past 21 years, upsetting the Steelform-sponsored Butcher Boys 34-23 in 2014, the only time the Bruce Steel Memorial Cup has changed hands locally in fixtures between the two unions.
That trophy is again at stake this weekend as well as being the first of eight qualifying rounds in the 2021 Bunnings Warehouse Heartland championship, which resumes after a break of a season because of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Whanganui's squad, under coaches Jason Caskey and Jason Hamlin, has experienced some valuable lead-up preparation against the Taranaki, Hawke's Bay and Wellington development teams, highlighted by an excellent 53-5 victory in Hawera to lift the Jones Brothers Trophy.
Although narrowly beaten in the other two dress-rehearsal fixtures – 14-7 locally by the Bay team and 19-12 in Porirua by Wellington Centurions – they were worthwhile games.
The trio of non-first-class fixtures, including a weekend camp, enabled the coaching staff to give all members of the 31-strong squad, which includes eight new caps, game time and to experiment with various player combinations.
The 23 players who have previous represented Wanganui have a total of 473 games for the union headed by halfback Lindsay Horrocks 73, hooker-prop Roman Tutauha 72, utility back Dane Whale 49, prop Viki Tofa 45, loose forward Campbell Hart 37, utility back Craig Clare 31, prop Gabriel Hakaraia 28 and utility back Tyler Rogers-Holden 22.
Notable players missing from last year's limited-season squad are pacey winger and top try-scorer Vereniki Tikoisolomone (with first division Taranaki), and front-rowers Wiremu Cottrell and Kamipeli Latu.
Fourteen of the squad that reached the last Heartland final in 2019, seven backs and seven forwards, are in the current squad. Whanganui were beaten 33-19 by North Otago in the Meads Cup final at Oamaru two years ago.
Since Horowhenua-Kāpiti was formed in 1997, the union has won only once in first-class matches at Cooks Gardens with Whanganui, ahead 18 victories to four in all games between the unions with an average score of 34-18 and an average of 35-19 in the 13 Heartland fixtures.
The highest victories were 76-8 in 2011, and 57-27 when the visitors last played here, in 2018.
This season Horowhenua-Kāpiti have beaten Central Hawke's Bay 45-12 and lost to Wellington Māori 33-38 in lead-up matches.
Rangitīkei dominant
Rangitīkei may not be represented in the Tasman Tanning premier club competition, but they have been really dominant in the senior grade over the past 14 years, winning the championship 10 times since 2007.
And the dominant force have been Kelso Hunterville who recently dethroned Harvey Round Motors Rātana 8-6 in one of the lowest-scoring finals.
For Hunterville it was a ninth title with the two-point winning margin matching the club's previous close shave of 10-8 over Ruapehu in 2014.
There was a single loss for Hunterville in this year's 13-game season – 12-17 on Spriggens Park against annual arch rivals Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Marist Celtic, who eventually finished third overall.
Hunterville averaged a winning score of 32-11 with the highlights being double away success over Rātana – 15-10 at the Pā in the qualifying series and 8-6 in a tense final that could have gone either way.
Rātana averaged 32-9, suffering three setbacks, twice against the new champions and being stripped of points for playing a non-registered local player despite winning 41-22 on the scoreboard at Ohakune.
Overall it was a most successful senior competition with little between Hunterville, Rātana, and Celtic.
The grade is a vital ingredient in helping keep Whanganui as the most successful of the dozen Heartland unions in the country, being a nursery for the six local premier clubs and providing regular rugby fixtures for the six single-team clubs.
One of those sides, Speirs Food Marton, may have finished with its lowest (eighth) ranking since 2013 but finished in a blaze of glory by winning the Stihl Shop Whanganui Challenge Shield for the season.
Senior clubs supplied nine players to squads named for the annual Town v Country match in Taihape – Bernard Matthews, Te Tua Kemp, Tex Seduadua, Tawhiwi Karaitiana, Eddie Tataurangi and Western Hemi (Rātana), Gordon and Mark Coogan (Utiku OB) and Blair Osborne (Hunterville).
Senior championship club summary (*denoting Stihl Shop Whanganui Challenge Shield fixtures) -
Kelso Hunterville (champions – top qualifier 49 pts) –
Played 13, won 12, lost 1, points for 414, against 143, differential 271, average Score 32-11.
2021 record:
Home – beat Utiku OB 43-0, Kaierau 42-19 and 42-3 (SF), Border 69-14, Counties 23-12, Marist Buffalo's 29-6.
Away – beat Marton 25-0, Pirates 34-13, Taihape 26-19, Ruapehu 35-19, Ratana 15-10 and 8-6 (Final). Lost to Marist Celtic 12-17.
Placings since 2011 – 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 5, 6, 1.
Harvey Round Motors Rātana (runners-up – qualified 2nd 45 pts) –
P 13, W 10, L 3, pts for 413, against 111, diff 302, av score 32-9.
2021 record:
Home – beat *Taihape 29-22, Pirates 61-7, Buffalo's 52-5, Marton 64-14, Celtic 18-12 (SF). Lost to Hunterville 10-15.
Away – beat *Marist Celtic 30-3, *Utiku OB 19-12, Border 64-0, Counties 36-6, Kaierau 24-7, Lost to Hunterville 6-8 (Final), Ruapehu on a technicality (played unregistered player).
Placings since 2011 – 9, 2011; 12, 2012; 12, 2014; 1, 2020; 2, 2021.
Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Marist Celtic (third – qualified 3rd 37 pts) –
P 12, W 8, L 4, pts for 292, against 178, diff 114, av score 24-15.
2021 record:
Home - beat Border 16-14, Buffalo's 29-12, Pirates 40-24, Kaierau 19-5, Hunterville 19-12. Lost to *Ratana 3-30.
Away – beat Counties 40-0, *Ruapehu 54-7, *Utiku OB 23-5. Lost to *Taihape 17-27, *Marton 22-24, Ratana 12-18 (SF).
Placings since 2011 – 2, 5, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3.
Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau (Fourth - qualified 4th 37 pts) –
P 12, W 7, L 5, pts for 314, against 256, diff 58, av score 26-21.
2021 record:
Home – beat Buffalo's 31-16, Ruapehu 33-21, Counties 29-5, Marton 40-5, Border 53-6, Utiku OB 28-7, Lost to Ratana 7-24.
Away – beat Taihape 27-17, Lost to Pirates 39-42, Hunterville 19-42 and 3-42 (SF), Celtic 5-19.
Placings since 2011 – 4, 10, 8, 13, 9, 6, 10, 8, 8, 3, 4.
Black Bull Liquor Pirates (fifth, 35 pts) –
P 11, W 7, L 4, pts for 321, ag 297, diff 24, av score 29-27.
2021 record:
Home – beat Kaierau 42-19, Buffalo's 26-7, Utiku OB 38-20. Lost t o Hunterville13-34, Ruapehu 19-39, Celtic 24-40.
Away – beat Counties 19-0, Border 53-13, Marton 45-17, Taihape 35-27. Lost to Ratana 7-61.
Placings since 2011 – 11, 2, 6, 6, 7, 10, 4, 10, 9, 11, 5.
Bennett's Taihape (sixth, 31 pts) -
P 11, W 6, L 5, pts for 255, ag 229, diff 26, av score 24-21.
2021 record:
Home – beat Counties 20-7, *Celtic 27-17. Lost to Hunterville19-26, Kaierau 17-27, *Utiku OB 15-19, Pirates 27-35.
Away – beat Buffalo's 19-12, Marton 21-14, Ruapehu 31-26, Border 37-17. Lost to Ratana 22-29.
Placings since 2011 – 8, 8, 5, 5, 10, 8, 4, 6, 1, 6, 6.
Ruapehu (Seventh 26 pts) –
P 11, W 5, L 6, pts for 237, ag 264, diff 27, av score 22-24
2021 record:
Home - beat Border 53-6, *Ratana on technically. Lost to *Celtic 7-54, Counties 12-16, Hunterville 19035, Taihape 26-
Away – beat Marton 19-16, Pirates 39-19, Buffalo's 34-12. Lost to Utiku OB 7-43, Kaierau 21-33,
Placings since 2011 – 3, 9, 2, 2, 1, 9, 7, 11, DNP, 7.
Speirs Food Marton (eighth, 22 pts) –
P 11, W4 L 7, pts for 182, ag 295, diff -113, av score 17-27.
2021 record:
Home - *beat Celtic 24-22, *Counties 27-5. Lost to Hunterville 0-25, Ruapehu 5-19, Taihape 14-21, Pirates 17-45.
Away – beat Buffalo's 31-16, *Utiku OB 29-19. Lost to Border 5-19, Kaierau 5-40, Ratana 14-64.
Placings since 2013 – 9, 7, 5, 2, 1, 4, 7, 7, 8.
Utiku OB (Ninth 21 Pts) –
P 11, W 4, L 7, pts for 224, ag 237, diff -13, av score 19-22.
2021 record:
Home – beat Ruapehu 43-7, Border 41-7, *Taihape 19-15. Lost to *Ratana 12-19, *Celtic 5-23, *Marton 19-29.
Away – beat Counties 43-3, Lost to Hunterville 0-43, Buffalo's 5-25, Kaierau 7-28, Pirates 20-38.
Placings since 2011 – 6, 7, 10, 11, 11, 12, DNP, 9, 2, 4, 9.
McCrea Scanning Counties (10th, 13 pts) –
P 11, W 3, L 8, pts for 113, ag 271, diff -158, av score 10-26.
2021 record:
Home – beat Border 39-3. Lost to Pirates 0-19, Utiku OB 3-43, Celtic 0-40, Ratana 6-36.
Away – beat Ruapehu 16-12, Buffalo's 15-8. Lost to Kaierau 5-29, Taihape 7-20, Hunterville 17-24, *Marton 5-27.
Placings since 2011 – 12, 4, 3, 8, 8, 6, 6, 6, 4, 8, 10.
Marist Buffalo's (11th 11 Pts) –
P 11, W 2, L 9, pts for 155, ag 278, diff -123, av score 14-25
2021 record:
Home – beat Border 36-17, Utiku OB 25-5. Lost to Taihape 12-19, Celtic 12-29, Marton 16-31, Counties 8-15, Pirates 7-26, Ruapehu 12-34.
Away – lost to Kaierau 16-31, Ratana 5-52, Hunterville 6-29
Placings since 2011 – 7, 5, 7, 10, 11, 11, 9, 7, 8, 9, 11.
Border (12th, 5 pts) –
P 11, W 1, L 10, pts for 105, ag 466, diff 351, av sc0re 10-42.
2021 record:
Home – beat Marton 19-5. Lost to Buffalo's 7-36, Pirates 13-53, Ratana 0-64, Taihape 17-37.
Away – lost to Celtic 14-16, Hunterville 14-69, Utiku OB 7-41, Kaierau 6-53, Counties 3-39, Ruapehu 6-53.
Placings since 2011 – 10, 11, 12, 5, 12, 7, 8, 3, 10, 10, 12.