They had the ball on a string and Steelform Wanganui's playmakers made everybody dance to their tune in the convincing 58-26 win over an outgunned Wairarapa Bush in the Meads Cup semifinal at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.
Still undefeated in the 2016 Mitre 10 Heartland Championship, Wanganui will now have a chance to emulate the great 2008-2009 teams which won back-to-back Meads Cup titles when they take on Buller in the final this weekend.
The match was effectively decided by an explosive three try burst in the space of six minutes midway through the first half - set up by some dynamic offloads from prop Tietie Tuimauga and hooker Roman Tutauha attacking from first receiver from quality ruck ball.
After being indecisive against Horowhenua-Kapiti, the Wanganui brains trust of halfback Lindsay Horrocks and five-eights Dane Whale and Craig Clare evolved from field marshalls into Cooks Gardens dictators.
They knew just what to do in every scenario, with Horrocks creating havoc with his chip kicks, Whale putting the ball back into Wairarapa Bush's corners and attacking the line to make his opposite Tim Priest's day a nightmare.
Clare was in-sync with his inside men and immaculate with the boot, nailing seven straight two-pointers, while Whale took the last conversion after Clare's departure to maintain the perfect record.
Wanganui even thrived when they started the second half with just 14 men after tryscoring winger Michael Nabuliwaqe was sinbinned for a contentious lifting tackle - scoring ten points and conceeding none.
It was only rare Wanganui errors that let the visitors get their first two tries, until their hard working flanker captain Eddie Cranston added a pair of consolation six-pointers in the dying minutes - the second an outstanding dash by the forwards from their own 22m.
Fullback Sam Monaghan was also dangerous in the first half while former All Black Zac Guildford tried to impose himself in the latter stages, but on a hot spring day with Wanganui holding a big lead, both weary teams threw the ball around with abandon in the final quarter.
Captain Peter Rowe was tireless on defence, while Campbell Hart again covered flanker and lock with equal aplomb and centre Blake Hohaia stepped smartly out of Guildford's shadow to score two tries.
After last weekend's scratchy effort, coach Jason Caskey had no doubt his side would be mentally sharp for the sudden death playoff.
"We knew we weren't going to have that problem again.
"The attitude was spot on. We're right on the money.
"In the first half, we were clear and hard.
"Got a few miracle balls away, which is nice when that happens, but it was from the forwards getting go forward."
"On the whole, our defence was bloody good. We didn't give them any chances."
Wanganui had forced Wairarapa Bush to attack through their halfback Inia Katia, rather than giving Priest room to work.
Caskey acknowledged the impetus and pinpoint direction which Horrocks, Whale and Clare had provided the team.
"That's the strength of their game. I thought Dane was outstanding today. Brilliant.
"Lindsay as well."
Rowe agreed the halves were standouts.
"They directed us around and it makes a big difference. Makes it a lot easier.
"I was really worried about this game, but the boys turned up."
Rowe also acknowledged the large Whanganui crowd which showed up to support the side, the biggest seen for a rugby match at Cooks Gardens this year, including those who could not have been satisfied with last weekend's effort.
"It was good that they kept a bit of faith."
The only concern for Wanganui was Tuimauga limping off midway through the second half with a suspected hamstring strain, as Wairarapa Bush also had injuries to their specialist props, which saw the scrums revert to Golden Oldies.
Wanganui exploded in the 12th minute as they got a penalty and kicked to an 8m lineout, then the forwards drove on lock Gavin Thornbury to the line, before No8 Malakai Volau took it off the back and was shoved over by his support.
A Horrocks kick brought his team straight back into Wairarapa Bush territory, and as they probed for an opening, Tutauha and Tuimauga spread the ball with basketball passes to Nabuliwaqe, who was back to his best with a smooth in-and-away to beat two tacklers and score.
Barely a minute later, Tuimauga popped a stunning pass round two tacklers into a charging Tutauha, who put Clare away by the posts for 24-0 in 18 minutes.
Horrocks kept marshalling his runners and Tuimauga was soon at it again as he put a grinning Hohaia through the gap with another dynamic offload, with Clare converting from the touchline.
Wanganui then took their eye off the prize by spilling the kickoff, and after sustained buildup and a couple of penalties, Monaghan went wide and offloaded to winger Glen Walters to score at the flag.
Wanganui were then put under pressure but their line held, despite losing Nabuliwaqe on a touch judges report for a lifting tackle.
If Wairarapa Bush were heartened by their efforts in the back end of the half, Wanganui immediately deflated them at the resumption as the forwards forced a midfield turnover and Horrocks made a perfect chip kick for motoring fullback Ace Malo, who collected the bounce and dragged the last tackler over the line.
Clare added a long range penalty for 42-6 after 46 minutes and from here out Wairarapa Bush were forced to play high risk and spread the ball at every opportunity.
Another chip kick rebounded off a Bush defender and Whale swooped through to collect, finding Hohaia who turned on the afterburners and ran right around the last defender to score.
Whale then made his sole mistake as a long cut-out pass was snatched by Guildford to race 35m under the posts.
The first-five would soon redeem as Wanganui's fresh reserve forwards kept the ball under control and then Whale worked Hohaia into the gap, who in turn put young winger Te Rangatira Waitokia over for his 12th try of the campaign.
Wairarapa Bush, to their credit, never gave up as they got a penalty and rumbled to the line, with Cranston getting low to dive over, and then from a 22m lineout, hooker Richard Puddy pushed through tacklers and got the ball to reserve Andrew Smith, who ran hard and then pushed the pass to Cranston to gather in and score a fine try on fulltime.
Wanganui 58 (Blake Hohaia 2, Malakai Volau, Michael Nabuliwaqe, Craig Clare, Ace Malo, Te Rangatira Waitokia tries; Clare pen, 6 con; Dane Whale con) bt Wairarapa Bush (Eddie Cranston 2, Glen Walters, Zac Guildford tries; Andy Humberston con). HT: 32-6.