Whanganui coach Danny Tamehana has been happy with the turn-out of players so far this season. Photo / Supplied
An engaged and eager McFall Fuel Whanganui Development XV made a strong start to their five-game programme with a 39-19 win over King Country Development at Spriggens Park on Saturday.
The home side made a good start as the first of a series of strong bursts by veteran winger CJ Stowers brought them onto attack, getting a penalty to go to the lineout and drive through the forwards with hooker Ash Tamihana scoring.
The visitors responded as they worked up with short offloads between the forwards, scoring beside the posts for an easier conversion to lead 7-5.
Whanganui responded by getting in position, with Stowers running to the opposite side in the line, and following a quick recycle, halfback Blake Mitchell and second-five Daniel Kauika set up fellow veteran winger Karl Pascoe scoring down his touchline.
Another penalty in King Country's red zone saw Whanganui take a tap and drive to the line, with lock Mason Johnson going off the next set with pushers behind him to make it 15-7.
But King Country replied right on halftime, as from an attacking scrum they snuck through to go under the posts for another simple conversion to close the gap to 15-14.
Whanganui would have to give up Johnson and then later in the piece his locking partner Brad O'Leary as they both joined the Steelform Whanganui Heartland bench for their game at Cooks Gardens, but there was a fair trade as Heartland preseason squad members Kahl Elers-Green and Brook Tremayne came on to run the cutter.
Elers-Green brought his team onto attack as he ran off a burst by No8 Illiesa Orooro, eventually leading to a 5m scrum where the reserve halfback drifted to connect with first-five Tyrone Albert running straight to dive across.
Feeling it now, Whanganui worked back, with several players making carries at the tryline, before reserve flanker Josaia Dawai drove through to score, finally close enough to the posts for Albert to add the extras.
Whanganui got another penalty from a scrum, with Dawai taking a quick tap and showing good strength to ground the ball over the line under three tacklers.
After that scoring burst, play got a little scrappy, King Country getting opportunities but losing the ball at important moments.
Whanganui responded from a scrum 10 from their own line, as they moved the ball through the backs and running players into gaps, which led to reserve Alesana Tofa getting outside his man to score in the corner, with Tremayne taking over the kicking to slot the difficult conversion.
King Country never gave up, and when they lost the ball backwards on a carry near Whanganui's line, they toed it through to win the foot race for the try.
Coach Danny Tamehana was happy with the buy-in from the team with good squad attendance, as last year's Development XV got a little light without Heartland squad members dropping back.
"The last two trainings we've had have been really good, the numbers have been there, so the boys are all excited for this campaign."
While players will come in and out as required for the Heartland squad, Tamehana has a good base of young players and regulars from his own Settler's Ngamatapouri side to cover any shortfalls.
"They were up for it, they were pretty keen," he said.
"The Prem grade, being a little bit shorter than normal, the boys were really looking forward to playing a bit more rugby so it wasn't too hard to twist [their arms].
"They're all keen to play another five weeks, it's good for them."
Whanganui Development XV 39 (J Dawai 2, A Tamihana, K Pascoe, M Johnson, T Albert, A Tofa tries; Albert con, B Tremayne con) bt King Development XV 19. HT: 15-14.
Around the grounds
UNDER 13: Mitre 10 Kaierau lifted the WRFU Under 13 (Year 7-8) championship with victory over Ruapehu at Cooks Gardens on Saturday. The high-scoring game concluded the 2022 WRFU Junior season.
WRFU WOMEN: The Silks Audit Whanganui Women's team suffered a 55-17 loss to Wellington Maori Women in Petone on Saturday. At the home union's request, the game was played as 10-a-side game, turning the game into more of an open, sevens-style match.
COLLEGIATE: The Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV finished their CNI competition with a flourish, winning the playoff for fifth 38-25 against St Peter's Cambridge to claim the Plate. Collegiate led 21-20 at halftime at Taupo's Owen Delany Park, but pulled away in the second stanza. The CNI title was won for the first time by Feilding High, who defeated St John's Hamilton 33-22 in the final.
CYCLONES: The Manawatu Cyclones honoured their Whanganui hooker/prop Sosoli Talawadua as she played her 50th Farah Palmer Cup game, beating Wellington Pride 38-17 at Palmerston North's Central Energy Trust Arena. It was their first win of 2022 to lift them off the bottom of the Premiership table. Talawadua earned her 17th cap for Manawatu, after 33 previous games for Waikato.
GIRLS RUGBY: Wednesday's MRU Secondary School Girls competition saw Whanganui High beat Queen Elizabeth College 62-0, while Cullinane College lost to Palmerston North Girls High 27-10. WRFU's Thursday 10-a-side Girls competition saw Cullinane beat Ruapehu College 47-12.
SCHOOLS: The MRU Premier 2 division saw City College 1st XV beat Palmerston North Boys High 3rd XV 36-17 on Saturday. The Youth 3 grade saw Whanganui Collegiate Blue beaten by Palmerston North Boys High Junior 7 31-19, after getting a default win over Hato Paora College Development the week before. More results to come later.