The Wanganui Under-18s faced a big step-up in class when they met Wellington in the curtainraiser to the Pink Batts Heartland Championship game at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.
The final result was a 68-0 hammering, although searching for the positives, coaches Cornel Mason and Daniel Tamehana will point out tothe team the experience of playing against a bigger union and what work needs to be done for the HYRC Cup campaign.
Wellington made their intentions clear right from the opening whistle that they were going to play the game hard and fast.
They scored in the first 30 seconds, which left the home side a little shell-shocked, and three minutes later the boys from the Capital were in again.
The home side regrouped and started making the first-up tackles and working around the rucks.
