Steelform Whanganui head south hunting Meads Cup redemption
By Jared Smith
Steelform Whanganui will take a virtually unchanged lineup for their journey deep into the South Island hinterland for the Meads Cup final on Saturday, but the one possible alteration could be significant.
After five weeks on the sideline boring holes with his eyes into the wooden timber as he watched from the grandstand, lock Peter-Travis Hay-Horton has completed his suspension from the red card in Week 4 of the competition, ironically against the same opponent in the unbeaten South Canterbury.
Bracketed on the bench with his dependable loose forward club-mate Regan Collier, Hay-Horton would want to redeem his exit in the 64th minute of the game with the defending champions, who used their one-man advantage to go from trailing 24-22 to over-running Whanganui 30-24 and winning on Cooks Gardens for the first time in the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship era.
Since then, having also been tested at home in the first game by eventual semifinalists Thames Valley, the Cantabrians ran roughshod over the rest of the competition, now hunting back-to-back unbeaten Meads Cups campaigns, and while Whanganui took a little while to find their groove, they too have been unbeaten since to set up this super clash.
First year coach Jason Hamlin, who is also assistant NZ Heartland XV coach to South Canterbury’s Nigel Walsh, knows the task ahead of his side.
“We believe we can go there and do something.
“You’ll see the end score [in the semifinals] and think King Country weren’t in it, but for 30 minutes they were competing, then the wheels fell off.
“That’s the strike in them – between Willie Wright and Sam Briggs, a No9-10 that control the tempo really well, and they’ve got some powerful backs.
“That’s why they won so many games. We probably gave them a leg up, playing with 14 for the last quarter.
“But that’s what they do though, take their chances and convert them. Invariably when they win, they win big.”
As well as the backline, South Canterbury have some steam-rollers in the forwards, thus Hamlin’s thought process around re-introducing Hay-Horton to the bench.
“It’s a really tough call, to be honest. We’ve put one or two [thoughts] in it.
“Against a big pack like South Canterbury, we’re going to need some size, we’re going to need some bodies.
“I’ve hedged my bets one way, then I think the other way. [Hay-Horton’s] been turning up [to trainings], and [brother] Slade’s the same.”
With Hay-Horton’s fellow lock Matt Ashworth also on the bench, it is likely Hamlin would move Ben Whale back to the loose-forwards if required during the match, given current flankers Jamie Hughes and Samu Kubunavanua would otherwise go the distance.
As a blindside flanker, the former Whanganui winger Kubunavanua has experienced a representative career renaissance this campaign.
After years of leg and shoulder issues, the one-time Hurricanes Development XV player has finally been back to full stride and in outstanding form.
“There was always an injury. There was times as a loose forward, if you had a Campbell Hart, where was he going to play?,” said Hamlin.
“But he’s come in this year and he’s been massive.
“There’s still moments in a game where he’ll do a quick tap or a quick lineout throw. But he’s been unreal, he’s a real barometer for the team.”
Because of their quiet nature, fellow Fijians and attacking weapons Alekesio Vakarorogo and Semi Vodosese, both try-scorers against South Canterbury, often respond better to a private word.
But Hamlin knows he can be absolutely verbally direct with the veteran Kubunavanua and he will deliver.
“When you put that on him, and the rest of the team sees that, the team gets a lift from Samu.”
The other players picked themselves after the rugged win over Thames Valley, Hamlin still keeping faith on Ethan Robinson to stay in one piece as the key goal-kicker.
Skipper Dane Whale has not taken the tee since the early preseason, although with 53 conversions and seven penalties in his Heartland career, he can step up if required.
Slade Hay-Horton and Tai Pulemagafa are thanked for all their efforts this year, but Hamlin is pleased with the core work of the props Keightley Watson, Gabriel Hakaraia, Bradley Fountain and Ranato Tikoisolomone – needing one more big effort in the furnace.
“The cupboard was a little bare, but then we’ve got them coming through showing things.
“The front row, which wasn’t our strongest area in Whanganui, it’s looking good.”
The team will fly out to Timaru on Friday and then make the 19km drive out to Pleasant Point – South Canterbury using their country club grounds this season due to Alpine Stadium being revamped.
“I think the players need to see it. The kickers can have a kick around, get a feel for it,” said Hamlin.
The team will then return to Timaru before the trip back out on Saturday morning.
Kickoff is the slightly earlier time of 2.05pm, live on Sky Sport 1.
The Whanganui team is:
- Keightley Watson
- Roman Tutauha
- Gabriel Hakaraia
- Josh Lane
- Ben Whale
- Samu Kubunavanua
- Jamie Hughes
- Semi Vodosese
- Lindsay Horrocks
- Dane Whale (c)
- Tyler Rogers-Holden
- Timoci Seruwalu
- Josaia Bogileka
14. Alekesio Vakarorogo - Ethan Robinson.
Reserves – - Bradley Fountain
- Ranato Tikoisolomone
- Jack Yarrall
- Peter-Travis Hay-Horton/Regan Collier
- Matt Ashworth
- Caleb Gray
- Kameli Kuruyabaki
- Tiari Mumby.
