So close! Whanganui comeback falls short in Heartland final
By Jared Smith
It was heartache for the Chesters Plumbing & Bathroom Whanganui Women’s team as they could not repeat their remarkable comeback from the round-robin against King Country, beaten 19-14 in Taupo on Saturday.
The inaugural North Island Heartland Series culminated with three games at Owen Delany Park, the championship final between unbeaten Whanganui and the second-place Trailblazers, who got off to a flying start in horrible wet conditions.
Powerful lock Karli Faneva, received quick ruck ball and went on barnstorming run from the attacking 22m to beat tackles and score, with centre Kowhai Boynton-Rameka converting in fifth minute.
The hits kept coming as first-five Nicola Chase tried a pinpoint bomb, which was gathered but then spilled and fullback Terina Mohi pounced to run in and score, also converted for 14-0 in less than nine minutes.
Just five minutes later and Chase was probing the line, pulling in defenders, and then a quick pass went out to prop Tiana Foua to power under the posts, the conversion surprisingly missed.
But for the next 60 minutes, Whanganui played the better rugby, invoking memories of their remarkable 34-29 comeback win over the Trailblazers in Week 1.
Key players coming off the bench early in the second stanza lifted the tempo and Whanganui began to move King Country laterally, finding space.
An attacking penalty led to a quick tap, working to the line, and then reserve prop Lavenia Nauga-Grey just fought her way through three tacklers to get the ball down, winger Alice Ireton converting for 19-7 in 64th minute
A succession of tap penalties kept Whanganui on the attack, and then reserve loose forward Hayley Gabriel charged through the middle and slid in under the posts for another straightforward conversion at 19-14 with ten minutes remaining.
In a knife-edge conclusion, in the 78th minute Whanganui spread to an open wing with the tryline in sight, but the pass was not taken in the rain, with King Country holding on right on their 22m.
“She was a tough game, always hard,” said Whanganui captain Kim Hunt.
“The first half we were a bit slow, but we came back, two tries, but lost in the end.
“We definitely knew it wasn’t going to be easy. No matter what, we carry on.”
Coach Junior Nepia reiterated that sentiment – if the feelings the team were experiencing at fulltime could be harnessed and implanted in the back of the minds for 2024, then most of the squad will return.
“They’ll come back, purely because of how much it hurts. Purely to prove to themselves that it was just a one-off.
“You can’t win them all. I’m still proud of them.
“We had massive support here. It hurts to leave a game like that to the last game.
“I’ll tell them to remember the journey, and think back to these hard times.
“[King Country] came out hissing and we couldn’t quite claw it back. We had a game plan, and we didn’t hit the mark with it.”
The coach praised Waimarie Rauhina, who slotted back into starting No8 and had a massive game.
“She really put the team on her back.”
Nepia also singled out front-rower Tangini Latu for stepping up when the side suffered early injuries.
Finally, he reserved special thanks for the supporters who had embraced the WRFU Women’s Club competition and then the representative team for the Heartland Series.
King Country (K Faneva, T Mohi, T Foua tries; K Boynton-Rameka 2 con) bt Whanganui 14 (L Nauga-Grey, H Gabriel tries; A Ireton 2 con). HT: 19-0.
CULLINANE COLLEGE: The Cullinane College Girls 1st XV had a great end to their season this month as they finished top of the standings for the Manawatu Secondary School Girls competition. In a seven-team grade without playoffs, Cullinane and town-mates Whanganui High School finished with identical 4-1 records, but Cullinane had one more bonus point to lift the crown. It made a championship double from having previously claimed the WRFU 10-a-side competition in August, beating WHS in the final at Spriggens Park
