Spreading wide after their penalty lineout win, Mid Canterbury looked to turn the ball back inside, which was deflected backwards by a Whanganui hand, and halfback Kieran McClea won the race in-goal, his try converted by first-five Tom Reekie after eight minutes.
Whanganui’s reply was immediate as after the hosts made a forward pass carrying out from the kickoff, the scrum ball came to centre Alekesio Vakarorogo who backed through the attacking line and then charged 30m, shrugging out of six tackle attempts to score beside the posts, with midfield partner Ethan Robinson slotting the extras.
The follow-up was swift as a succession of strong carries and short offloads coming out of their half saw Whanganui make the gain line repeatedly, and then halfback Griffin Culver spotted the half gap and sliced right through, finding flanker Josefa Namosimalua inside to sprint away for 12-7.
Namosimalua and skipper Jamie Hughes somehow stopped big Mid Canterbury lock Shepherd Mhembere from scoring, and then a great run by Robinson saw defending winger Hugh Griffith infringe and be sin-binned. Robinson slotted the penalty.
Mid Canterbury losing the ball out over touch gifted an attacking lineout and, after Whanganui spread to fullback Tyler Rogers-Holden in the line, they recycled quickly. A superb pop ball from Vakarorogo put winger Peceli Malanicagi away untouched for a converted try.
What happened just three minutes later was truly special – as Vakarorogo received a long pass on his own 22m and turned on the gas to run away from not only the first-line defence but then the cover coming across to outstrip them all and score in the corner, with Robinson converting from touch for 29-7 in the 30th minute.
Whanganui stripping the ball on defence allowed Rogers-Holden to make a 50-20m kick from the ruck and, after sustained build-up from the lineout, a short ball by prop Gabriel Hakaraia got lock Peter-Travis Hay-Horton ranging outside the tacklers to dive across for another seven points.
The visitors should have taken 36-7 into the sheds, but Mid Canterbury did well to steal back possession after the restart and eventually earn a ruck penalty – going to touch and then driving from the lineout for hooker Josh Dunlea to go off the side of the maul and score right at the break.
Whanganui rocketed into the second half as Rogers-Holden ran back a clearing kick, and then the ball was transferred to the far side where a roving Hay-Horton broke tackles and fed Bogileka to flash down the touchline, finding Culver back inside to score a fine try.
A proud team, Mid Canterbury would play better from this point – the Methven boys getting together as a pinpoint chip-kick by Reekie was caught by Griffith on the run to dive in at the corner, with Reekie’s conversion hitting the posts.
Sustained pressure led the home side to a couple of penalties, testing Whanganui’s defence, and finally at the try-line prop Tadeo Andriani drove off the back of the ruck for a converted try to give his side hope at 41-26 with 18 minutes left.
But Whanganui were not interested in letting another Cantabrian side run them down in the last quarter, as their bench players lifted the tempo, with Malanicagi beating tacklers near the try line, before Rogers-Holden took the ball off the ruck and sold the line a dummy to score just inside the last 10 minutes.
Knowing how crucial getting maximum points on the tough South Island road trip was going to be, coach Jason Hamlin was delighted with the strong period following the hosts’ opening try through until halftime.
“When we could get to the proper areas of the park, making a bit of patience, I thought we looked really good,” he said.
“Aleki and Ethan got real good penetration.
“We can be cleaner, and I guess we can play better.
“But we’ve been telling the boys all week, this is a hard place to win, but they did that today.”
Whanganui 48 (A Vakarorogo 2, J Namosimalua, P Malanicagi, P Hay-Horton, G Culver, T Rogers-Holden tries; E Robinson pen, 4 con) bt Mid Canterbury 26 (K McClea, J Dunlea, H Griffith, T Andriani tries ; T Reekie 3 con). HT: 36-14.
