The depth in the Waikato team told as they followed up a good Saturday performance to hold off a Wanganui comeback in the representative quadrangular for the Archie Warlaw Trophy yesterday.
Playing inside the Jubilee Stadium extension room, Waikato took home the trophy after scoring a combined 138 points, withWanganui runnerup on 127.5, followed by Bay of Plenty (118) and Hawke's Bay (50.5).
The tournament consisted of 12 rounds, with three games each of singles, pairs and fours against each centre.
Waikato had a couple of late withdrawals from their original squad, but Wanganui team member Brendon Kenny said yesterday that their replacements were nearly as good, while they still had one former New Zealand representative as well as the current NZIB president in Barry Chapman.
"They had a good lead last night but we came home with a bit of a run," said Kenny.
"If they didn't have that lead, I think we would have got over the top of them."
The quadrangular has been contested since 1965, with Wanganui joining in 2004 as a replacement for Poverty Bay/East Coast, and winning it for the first time the following year.
The represenative team's next big challenge will be facing the touring South Island squad in August.
L Heywood, C Pinker, W Freeman, B Kenny, A Rowland, W Pinker, G Scrivener, S Hackett, G Lyne, M Klitscher, L Bourne, B McCarthy, L Sorensen, C Bourne, B Bull, B Gosnell.
