Wanganui, the most lethal attacking team in the country outside of the first division unions, have regained the mantle of Heartland champions for a fifth time in 10 years after beating South Canterbury, 28-11, in the 2015 Pink Batts televised Meads Cup final in Timaru last weekend.
It was an eighth
final for the Butcher Boys in the top echelon of the national competition, which started in 2006, and a just reward for a dedicated squad captained by evergreen Peter Rowe and under the guidance of coaches Jason Hamlin, Jason Caskey and Shane Ratima.
Wanganui have now been ranked No 1 amongst the dozen Heartland unions in 2008-09-11-15, No 2 in 2006-07-10-12 and Lochore Cup winners in 2014.
The only season the blue and blacks missed a final was 2013 when they were Lochore Cup semifinalists.
Wanganui finished 2015 with eight victories, a narrow last minute 30-28 qualifying loss to defending champions Mid Canterbury and a 17-17 draw with Lochore Cup finalists King Country.
Surprisingly the loss and draw were both on Cooks Gardens before home audiences because the team was unbeaten in all six away fixtures, a rarity for Wanganui during the Heartland era.
Those away wins included regaining the Bruce Steel Memorial Cup (39-34 against Horowhenua-Kapiti in Levin), defending the trophy (57-35 against Wairarapa-Bush at Masterton), whipping last year's Lochore Cup finalists and this season champions North Otago (40-10 in Oamaru) and eliminating Meads Cup 2013-14 winners Mid Canterbury (26-11 in the semifinals at Ashburton).
Although the opposing teams in Levin and Masterton replied with strong second spell efforts, Wanganui managed to score 31 tries in five away games leading up the final.
Features of the home matches were the bold showing against Mid Canterbury until the dying few minutes in the 28-30 loss, holding 2014 "Cinderella" side Buller (unbeaten until the final) try-less in a convincing 35-9 win, and disposing of last year's Meads Cup 2nd best qualifiers Poverty Bay 55-23.
The keys to Wanganui's successful season included the ability to launch powerful raids from anywhere on the field, fine goal-kicking from Hawke's Bay loan player Trinity Spooner-Neera, the powerful thrusts from the Polynesian contingent of club players, strong defence in most of the games and the leadership of Rowe.
They all combined to make it a memorable year for Wanganui rugby and as Meads Cup champions an automatic Ranfurly Shield challenge against new holders Waikato will be an incentive for the players early next year.
Note - There will be a full in-depth look at the Wanganui 2015 effort in next week's column along with a round-up of the Heartland championship.
* * *The selection of six Wanganui players in the New Zealand Heartland team to play three games in the North Island next month advances the local contribution to the national side over 10 years to 27.
Newcomers to the team are 18-year-old Collegiate School first five Stephen Perofeta, the first schoolboy to gain selection and the youngest NZ Heartland rep, 25-year-old Border halfback Lindsay Horrocks and 26-year-old Border No 8 Bryn Hudson.
Peter Rowe, the 33-year-old Ruapehu rep skipper who has played 108 times for Wanganui, will wear the national colours for a seventh year and will again captain the team from the side of the scrum. He was first chosen in the 2006 inaugural NZ Heartland side.
Border and former Pirates hooker Cole Baldwin, aged 32, with 82 rep games for the union under his belt, is into his fifth year as a NZ rep while Ruapehu lock-loose forward Fraser Hammond, aged 31 and with 57 rep games to his credit, has been selected for a fourth time.
Marist lock Daniel FitzGerald, brother of 2008 NZ Heartland rep Mike FitzGerald, would have gone very close to selection this year but injury ruined his chances.
Fellow lock Jon Smyth, who played in the national team in 2010 and 2011, was not eligible because he is now a loan player from the Taranaki Coastal club. The same applied to Hawke's Bay goal-kicker Trinity Spooner-Neera and Wanganui's Polynesian reps who do not meet residential qualification rules (permanent local residency for 36 months).
The NZ Heartland team plays an annual game against New Zealand Marist for the McCrea Cup at Masterton on Saturday, November 7th, as a warm-up for matches against the touring Australian Barbarians in Levin on Tuesday, November 10th and at Cooks Gardens on Friday, November 13th
Steelform Wanganui rep manager Chris Back will managed the national side for a sixth successive year.
Wanganui's New Zealand Heartland representatives over the years are: 2006 (6) - Dan Aldworth (Taihape - flanker), Leon Mason (Ratana - first five), Sheldon O'Hagan (Ruapehu - prop), Peter Rowe (Ruapehu - flanker), Mike Thompson (Ratana - prop), Logan Vaughan (Ruapehu - centre).
2007 (3) - Steelie Koro (Marist - second five), Peter Rowe, Mike Thompson.
2008 (5) - Cameron Crowley (Marist - winger), Mike FitzGerald (Marist - lock), Matt Gilbert (Ruapehu - prop), Leon Mason, Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Marist - fullback). Official: Guy Lennox (assistant coach).
2009 (8) - Cole Baldwin (Pirates - hooker), Cameron Crowley, Matt Gilbert, David Gower (Ruapehu - utility forward), Fraser Hammond (Ruapehu - flanker), Peter Rowe, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Lasa Ulukuta (Pirates - No 8). Officials: Guy Lennox ( coach), Chris Back (manager).
2010 (8) - Cole Baldwin (Pirates), Cameron Crowley, Mark Davis (Pirates - first five), Fraser Hammond, Steelie Koro, Shaun McDonough (Ruapehu - prop), Peter Rowe (captain), Jon Smyth (Pirates - lock). Officials: Guy Lennox (coach), Chris Back (manager).
2011 (8) - Cole Baldwin (Pirates), Simon Dibben (Marist - winger), Steelie Koro, Shaun McDonough, Darren Munro (Kaierau - flanker), Sam Scown (Marist - winger), Jon Smyth (Border), Rusiate Vukula (Marist - centre). Official: Chris Back (manager).
2012 (7) - Nick Cranston (Ruapehu - lock), Mark Davis (Border), Fraser Hammond, Matt Koubaridis (Border - halfback - selected but injured and did not play). Shaun McDonough, Darren Munro, Peter Rowe (captain). Official: Chris Back (manager).
2013 (4) - Nick Cranston, Shaun McDonough, Peter Rowe (captain), Lasa Ulukuta. Official: Chris Back (manager).
2014 (3) - Cole Baldwin (Border), Peter Rowe (captain), Lasa Ulukuta. Official: Chris Back (manager).
2015 (6)- Cole Baldwin, Daniel FitzGerald (Marist - utility forward), Fraser Hammond (Ruapehu - utility forward), Bryn Hudson (Border - loose forward), Stephen Perofeta (Collegiate School - first five), Peter Rowe (Captain).
* * *Wanganui has used only two loan players and one overseas-based player during the current Pink Batts Heartland championship, the least of any of the 12 unions in the competition.
The loan players are former NZ Heartland Player of the Year lock Jon Smyth (Taranaki) and Hawke's Bay goal-kicking utility back Trinity Spooner-Neera with Border midfield back Poasa Waqanibau, although he has played most of the club season in Wanganui, classed as an overseas-based player because of a mix-up with his documentation.
Unions are permitted to play a maximum of three loan players and a player of origin - someone who has previously played rugby in the union - in any one match. There are cut-off dates for the registration of outside players.
This year there have been 68 loan players involved in the various squads, ranging from eight each with East Coast, Mid Canterbury, North Otago and Poverty Bay, down to two for Wanganui plus Waqanibau.
The loan player break-down is:
Buller (6) from Wellington 3, Tasman 2 and Canterbury.
East Coast (8) - Bay of Plenty 4, Waikato 2, North Harbour and Poverty Bay.
Horowhenua-Kapiti (7) - Wellington 6 and Manawatu.
King Country (3) - Waikato 3.
Mid Canterbury (8) - Canterbury 6, Waikato and Auckland.
North (Otago (8) - Otago 8.
Poverty Bay (8) - Bay of Plenty 3, Wellington 2, Tasman, Manawatu and Waikato.
South Canterbury (5) - Canterbury 5.
Thames Valley (5) - Waikato 3, Counties-Manukau and Auckland.
Wairarapa-Bush(4) - Auckland 3, Manawatu.
Wanganui (2) - Hawke's Bay and Taranaki.
West Coast (4) - Canterbury 4.
Apart from former Wanganui Meads Cup winner Tau Moeke switching from Poverty Bay to East Coast the other 67 loan players are from ITM Cup unions as follows - Canterbury 16 players, Wellington 11, Waikato 10, Otago 8, Bay of Plenty 7, Auckland 5, Manawatu and Tasman 3 each and Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Counties-Manukau and North Harbour one each.
The four unions that missed qualifying for either the Meads or Lochore Cup playoffs - West Coast, and the neighbouring North Island trio of Thames Valley, Poverty Bay and East Coast - used 25 of the 68 loan players this year.