It was a quicker trip to Gisborne than their Steelform Wanganui seniors received and the Air Chathams Wanganui Under 18's made good use of their fresher legs to defeat the Poverty Bay Under 18's 34-20 in the curtain raiser game on Saturday.
As the team's sponsor airline offered them adirect 45 minute flight into Gisborne, rather than going the long way by busing to Palmerston North and flying connect through Auckland, the team was ready from the get go.
First five Mitchell Millar got their opening try after a home side penalty, then winger Luke Foster scored for 10-3 in the 17th minute.
Keeping the momentum going, centre Sheldon Pakinga-Manhire swept over for the first of his hat trick of tries, and then classy fullback Adam Boult added another try to his tally just three minutes later, with flanker Dylan Bowater adding a conversion.
Wanganui were looking good, but did give away a try with six minutes left in the half to lead 22-8.
The visitors then went try-for-try with Poverty Bay in the second half, with Pakinga-Manhire scoring in the 48th and 53rd minutes, with Bowater converting the first of them.
Those bookended Poverty Bay's 50th minute try, and they scored again in the 62nd minute, but from there the defence of both team's held.
"The boys played well, it was an entertaining game," said Wanganui coach Jerome McCrea.
"The second half we turned the ball over a bit, and they had big ball runners. But the boys scrambled well."
Pakinga-Manhire had a great game, with the momentum generated from the first-fives, McCrea said.
"The whole backline, once they got a bit of go forward, some width, they scored some nice tries."
McCrea is pleased with how the team has come together in the last four weeks of games, and will want to finish off well when they travel to Masterton to meet Wairarapa Bush this coming Saturday.
