Steelform Wanganui had every right to feel content with earning a Mitre 10 Heartland Meads Cup home semifinal, the problem was they were supposed to do that after playing a desperate Horowhenua Kapiti in their final round robin match and not before.
The history books will read complimentary as the 20-12 victory on Saturday made Wanganui only the third team in the 11-year history of the competition to go through the round robin unbeaten, finishing top of the table ahead of South Canterbury and setting up this weekend's playoff with Wairarapa Bush.
However, after sweeping out to an early 14-6 lead from two very well worked attacking tries, offset by one lapse for Horowhenua Kapiti's score, Wanganui stagnated and showed they had left all the adrenaline from their determined effort the previous weekend back in Westport.
With prop Viki Tofa (workplace ankle injury) and lock Gavin Thornbury (sore ribs) being rested, while second-five Kameli Kuruyabaki rolled his ankle before halftime, the home side looked very flat and seemed to be waiting for something to happen.
They lost a lot of second and third phase ball around the breakdown, while the backline struggled for fluidity.
While Horowhenua-Kapiti were eager, they still played like a ninth-placed team and could not take full advantage with a lot of spills themselves as the match degenerated into a scrappy affair.
For once it was not Wanganui's discipline letting them down as referee Michael Winter blew a fairly even penalty count.
Centre Blake Hohaia was able to capitalise on a reckless Horowhenua Kapiti pass, which prop Tietie Tuimauga snatched, to score his second try midway through the second half, which gave the home side some impetus.
But if Hohaia and gifted winger Te Rangitira Waitokia getting his 11th try this season represented the best of Wanganui's efforts, they also showed the worst as both made big defensive lapses by coming out of the line and missing their target in each of the visitor's tries, while Waitokia was sinbinned for a lifting tackle shortly after halftime.
Wanganui looked to put a definitive stamp on the match as they camped in Horowhenua-Kapiti's 22m zone for the final 12 minutes, repeatedly turning down the chance to make the scoreboard safe with two more points from a mountain of penalties.
But they could not hang onto the ball at the chalk to crack a fourth try.
Lock Campbell Hart stepped up in Thornbury's absence, one of the few to do so, while hooker Roman Tutauha ran hard and halfback Lindsay Horrocks tried to manufacture momentum until they were replaced in the final quarter.
Kuruyabaki's departure meant reserve first-five Dane Whale slotted in to make a new combination with Craig Clare, and the lack of familiarity showed.
Best for Horowhenua Kapiti was winger Faleuleu Matua, who created havoc in the back field for Wanganui with some scything runs.
No8 Tyson Maki powered his team back from their own tryline several times, while English import first-five Warwick Lahmert had a hand in everything, although he would rue a couple of poor clearances.
Wanganui coach Jason Caskey agreed his team probably made more unforced errors in the match than their last three games combined.
At halftime, everyone was looking at each other, waiting for someone else to take the initiative.
"That's out of the way. I had a sneaking suspicion it was going to be a hard game," Caskey said.
"It was one of those ones you had to get through, the minds weren't where they needed to be."
Tofa and Thornbury will both be right for this weekend's semifinal and Caskey was confident the intensity will return for sudden death football.
Captain Peter Rowe promised the same.
"What a difference a week makes. We'll turn it around for next week.
"We started well. We fell into the thing of thinking they were going to roll over.
"Our neighbours, they're always going to keep fronting."
The derby win locked away the Bruce Steel Memorial Cup for another summer.
Early on, it was looking easy as Horrocks nearly snuck down the blindside from a 5m scrum, just putting a foot out before diving for the line.
It mattered little as Wanganui snatched Horowhenua Kapiti's short clearance and then multiple forwards and backs showed crisp passing to put ball runners in space, with their excellent control rewarded when Waitokia strolled through out wide to plant the ball.
However, moments later the young man dashed out to try and pluck another intercept try this season, but missed centre Shai Wiperi, who was able to put the now unmarked Anthony Fuauli over in the corner.
Wanganui hit back quickly as Kuruyabaki made a hard run and just missed his support players, yet the team reset and shifted to both sides of the paddock before Hohaia put the arm out to hold off Lahmert and dive over.
But it would be nearly 40 minutes before the scoreboard attendant was busy again, as following a long malaise, fullback Ace Malo chipped ahead and while Horowhenua Kapiti covered it, reserve flanker Bryn Hudson pressured them and the ball fell to Tuimauga, who fed Hohaia to dash away to the corner.
Like Waitokia, Hohaia then went from top shelf to bottom draw as he rushed up and completely missed Wiperi, who dashed right to the tryline, and Wanganui failed to get their defence re-adjusted before flanker Nathan Kendrick crossed over untouched.
Trying to atone, Hohaia nearly scored after a step and sprint to the tryline, and Wanganui would stay on attack for the rest of the match, but were never able to get the six-pointer to finish clear of their nuggety opposition.
Wanganui 20 (Blake Hohaia 2, Te Rangitira Waitokia tries; Craig Clare con) bt Horowhenua Kapiti 12 (Anthony Fuauli, Nathan Kendrick tries). HT: 14-6.