Heartland rugby: Whanganui leap into top four with win over North Otago
Dane Whale slotted nine points for Whanganui as they came away from Ōamaru with a convincing win. Photo / NZME
Brought to you by Whanganui Rugby
Mentally, there’s a certain switch that can flipped within the psyche of the Steelform Whanganui rugby team - it’s when the “Butcher Boys” become the “Battler Boys”.
When playing a crucial away Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship game against an in-form opponent, perhaps after previous bad form or facing significant adversity, Whanganui still have the ability to show up when it really matters and get their timing right.
And so it was at the daunting Oamaru Domain on Saturday as Whanganui held off North Otago’s vaunted forward pack to swing wide into the outside channels and shrewdly execute when chances materialised - winning 34-19 to leapfrog the southerners into the top four.
In just their fifth victory in 13 trips to Ōamaru since 2002, Whanganui outscored their hosts by five tries to three, critically denying them a bonus point while taking the maximum five points themselves, and moving within catching distance of this coming week’s opponents in Ngāti Porou East Coast.
Keeping the goal-kicking role, captain Dane Whale opened the scoring with a 14th-minute penalty, and then centre Alekesio Vakarorogo, who scored a consecutive hat-trick last week against West Coast, added a back-to-back double in the 19th and 25th minutes against the stunned southerners.
While North Otago scored a first-half try, Whanganui were in again through utility back Apolosi Tanoa, who is not a specialist winger but was a last-minute change for the starting XV and ran the far line to score a 40-metre try, converted by Whale for a 20-5 lead at halftime.
After the speed, Tanoa then had to show the strength with his 48th-minute try, pumping through defenders at the line to get the ball down, with Whale adding the extras.
Coach Jason Hamlin stuck to his pre-match plan on when he would bring on Whanganui’s young reserves, despite North Otago rallying to score another try, and in the 70th minute a teenager on debut repaid that faith.
Apprentice player Joshua Brunger, who has been with the Heartland Hurricanes Under-20s, got his chance off the bench after Tanoa’s promotion to the starting line-up, and dived in for what proved the match-winning seven-pointer in the 70th minute.
North Otago were good for one more try, having added two conversions, but ran out of time to get any closer - a third straight defeat for the three-time Meads Cup champions putting a significant dent in their hopes of contesting for the top title.
Having guided the side around the park with his halves partner Lindsay Horrocks, Whale was pleased to see the “Battler Boys” mentality was alive and well.
“Definitely, I’ve been with this group of men for long enough to know their ability to do that.
“We’re just playing every game like a knock-out game now.
“It’s good to see the boys react to the pressure of that.”
If Whanganui were going to get their tries through their outside backs, it was because somebody had stopped North Otago rampaging through the middle, and Hamlin heaped praise on the starting front row of props Raymond Salu, Konradd Newland and cast-iron veteran hooker Roman Tutauha.
“Our scrum was very strong. Roman was accurate and able to hit the wider channels.
“All the little things - the discipline - this week they showed up.
“That’s the performance we’ve been after for a couple of weeks. The attitude and the effort were there - we asked for a good start.
“We got to the wide channels, we were able to move the ball. Make [North Otago] move and then gather them in the middle, and get to the net [setting a trap].”
Midfielders Vakarorogo and Timoci Seruwalu had good games, and Hamlin singled out his captain - Whale leading the side around the park and pressuring everything that North Otago tried.
As well as the 19-year-old Brunger picking up a meat pie on debut, the victory was a fitting reward for both reserve props in Keightley Watson and the returning Hadlee Hay-Horton, who played their 15th games to receive the Whanganui blazer.
Whanganui 34 (A Vakarorogo 2, A Tanoa 2, J Brunger tries; D Whale pen, 3 con) bt North Otago 19. HT: 20-5.
