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As the only two Top Three ranked Heartland rugby unions in the country each year since 2018, Whanganui and Thames Valley face a most interesting clash at Cooks Gardens when the 2023 Bunnings Warehouse-sponsored championship starts on Saturday.
They have only met once previously on opening day and that was 13 years ago when the Steelform Butcher Boys carved up the Swamp Foxes by a record 65-18 in the inaugural Heartland series in 2006.
The fixture was also played on Cooks Gardens with Kaierau winger Pati Fetuia scoring four of 11 tries, finishing the season with 14 tries – a national Heartland record that still stands. Fetuia repped 27 times for Whanganui between 2004-06.
Although the Butcher Boys enjoy a far superior record than the Foxes with 31 victories from 39 games played since 1923, including 11 of 13 Heartland matches, Valley has provided stern opposition since ending Whanganui’s golden era with a surprise 17-7 Meads Cup semifinal upset at Cooks Gardens in 2018, a first success in 17 years.
Whanganui enjoyed home romps such as 65-18 in 2006, 62-10 in 2004 and 60-14 in 2016 but Thames Valley has become a much tougher proposition since recruiting stronger forward packs and more skilful backs.
Results of the past half dozen fixtures clearly outline the closeness of the unions – Wanganui winning at Te Aroha in 2021 (35-27), at home last year (25-18) and at Paeroa in 2017 (21-19) and 2019 (20-15), with Valley back to back winning visitors in 2018 (17-7) and 2019 (36-30).
Whanganui has won two of three close Meads Cup semis against the Foxes since 2018 including 25-18 in Valley’s centenary year last winter.
Along with in-form South Canterbury, champions for the past two years – 47-36 v Whanganui last Labour Weekend and 35-16 v Thames Valley in 2022 – Whanganui and Thames Valley should again be title contenders this season.
Whanganui and South Canterbury do not play each other during the eight qualifying rounds this year.
The various Heartland squads have been busy with annual traditional warm-up fixtures and local head coach Jason Hamlin is happy with hit-outs against virtual back-up teams from first division unions Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu plus the NZ Defence Force.
Wellington Centurions beat Whanganui 33-17, five tries to three, in the latest non-championship fixture, played at Jerry Collins Stadium in Porirua.
Although he has 13 new caps in his 34-strong squad there is a blend of experienced and promising young forwards and backs to field a very competitive team provided there are not too many injuries to key players.
Thames Valley has warmed up by beating NZ Harlequins 29-21 and last weekend lost 29-31 to North Harbour B.
Buller, who host the Butcher Boys on Saturday week, beat Marlborough 37-29 before losing 22-39 to Nelson in a Seddon Shield challenge in Murchison.
West Coast, who lost 26-34 in a Shield game the previous weekend, beat Marlborough 52-19 last Saturday.
South Canterbury looked solid in beating Otago B 21-17.
In the North Island King Country has beaten a Taranaki XV 54-36 and NZ Harlequins 35-17 and Wairarapa-Bush has beaten Manawatu Evergreens 73-41 and Wellington Samoans 20-19.
Up north Lochore Cup holders East Coast beat Eastern Bay of Plenty 29-12 but lost 17-18 to Central Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay beat Eastern BOP 61-31 but crashed 17-77 away against HB Saracens.