While that victory could be explained away as the motivation of payback, it is harder to figure the Coasters then making the logistically longest away trip in Heartland – Greymouth to Ruatōria – and hammering Ngāti Porou East Coast 80-21 last weekend, including 54 points in the second half.
New first five-eighths Cam Burgess kicked a union-record nine conversions to lift his competition tally to 31 points, while second five-eighths Elliot Smith scored a hat-trick of tries and Coast legend Troy Tauwhere – 110 matches and seven New Zealand Heartland XV appearances – got a double at hooker.
On the crutches at Tuesday night training after his knee surgery, Whanganui coach Jason Hamlin acknowledged that, for the first time in a generation, West Coast have attack with punch, a well-organised defence and some smart game-plan execution.
“They’ve been playing well. If you put that amount of points on King Country, who aren’t a bad side, you’re doing something well,” Hamlin said.
“We’ll have to be wary of them.”
Whanganui delivered a strong second half against West Coast’s neighbours Buller last Saturday, with Hamlin getting the rundown from his coaching staff that his team, with so many young newcomers, still need to develop a bit of patience with the ball – working to create openings rather than dashing to where they might be.
“A lot of positive stuff by us [was] undone by inaccuracies.”
The naming of the match-day 23 was delayed until after Thursday training to confirm the status of a couple of injured backs.
Midfielder Ethan Robinson is still working through niggles with his leg, while standout winger Alekesio Vakarorogo accidentally bit his tongue in the Buller game in Westport, requiring treatment.
In a slight correction to previous stories, Vakarorogo did not score in the match but instead set up the try scored by new halfback Cody Mitchell, his first Heartland five-pointer.
Due to the backline issues, pre-season squad member Chad Whale has been invited to rejoin training with the team in an apprentice role, while also slotting in this week was promising McFall Fuel Whanganui Barbarians utility back Joey Devine.
Big midfielder Timoci (Jim) Seruwalu – 55 Heartland games for Whanganui and Horowhenua-Kāpiti – has also resumed training, but won’t play on Saturday.
The forwards are looking to be in good shape, with Hamlin happy with the return performance of lock Peter-Travis Hay-Horton as, after months of injury recovery, he came off the bench to score against Buller.
“Kim [McNaught] was really happy with how he went.”
It is the first meeting between Whanganui and West Coast since the 2023 season, when the home side won 36-12 at Cooks Gardens.
Kickoff is 2.30pm.
