Locks are also at a premium currently, with the injured Josh Lane still a couple of games away, while Peter Travis Hay-Horton has been recovering from illness.
Whanganui used Ben Whale often as a jumper but found the tall Centurions led by skipper Hugo Plummer being able to contest far better in the air than their previous opposition.
Both Mason Johnson and Brad O'Leary were rushed over from the McFall Fuel Whanganui Development XV game at Spriggens Park to cover the gaps, while Matt Ashworth gave a full 80 minute effort.
High praise should go to Semi Vodosese – as Whale had to do more scourging and distributing, Centurions lined up the young No8 up for full-on body hits that made the bench wince from the impact watching 30m away.
But Vodosese never shirked the workload as the main carrier, and was rewarded with the last try of the match with a signature dash off the back of a 5m scrum.
Shortly before that, Centurions showed their plucky opposition a mark of respect as they had accurate goal kicker Callum Harkin (four from five) take a long-range penalty goal to extend their lead beyond two converted tries, rather than keeping up the pounding on attack.
Whanganui's loose forwards had to step up because in a massive blow before the start of the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, nuggety openside flanker Jamie Hughes came off with a suspected concussion after scoring his team's first-half try.
Fast and powerful, Centurions line breaks had Whanganui desperately scrambling, and unfortunately this meant centre Josaia Bogileka and reserve halfback Caleb Gray were sent to cool their heels for ten minutes for high tackles when they got their timing wrong defending the tryline.
While losing Hughes is a massive blow, there was better news in the backline as veteran halfback Lindsay Horrocks (Covid isolation) and reserve first-five Ethan Robinson (shoulder injury) came through their comeback games unscathed – Horrocks missing a little conditioning but none of his competitive fire.
Conversations in the Centurions locker room after the game revealed this was the match which the Wellington squad was most wary in their seven-game campaign, which started with a 66-point hammering of Wairarapa Bush last week.
"A lot more physical than the other teams we've played to date, which was perfect for us, in terms of leading up to the Heartland campaign," said head coach Jason Hamlin.
"We've had to adapt to the pace of the game that those four unions have brought, and today gave a bit more physicality around it, and by-and-large the boys stood up.
"It wasn't perfect, by any means, but they're operating under pressure, which is what we're asking.
"They're adapting, and hopefully in another week or two's time, those passes that are just not finding the hand again [will].
"Hopefully the timing will improve.
"Probably because of the pressure, we didn't really see as much of our attack structure as I would have liked, but they worked hard, stayed in the fight, and they kept competing for the full 80 minutes.
"We scored the last try, and we were held up over the line three times, which is a little frustrating."
Another key element will be maintaining discipline under pressure – neither Bogileka or Gray's sin-binnings had malice intent, but in a split second available to get their man the timing was off.
Now looking ahead to playing West Coast in Greymouth for the start of the Heartland campaign, Hamlin will consider his options without the hard-working Hughes.
"We've got Regan Collier and Samu [Kubunavanua] coming back into the squad next week hopefully, so that will help cover that.
"Now we'll have to make a call of some of these boys, and we'll see how it rolls."
Wellington Centurions 29 (J Southall, H Boyle, P Va'a, A Polu tries; C Harkin pen, 3 con) bt Whanganui 19 (J Hughes, J Yarrall, S Vodosese ; E Malo 2 con). HT: 19-7.
