“Whanganui carried the ball harder than anyone we’d come up against before this game, and we didn’t match them in that area early enough,” said Parkes, the 2022 Ian Kirkpatrick medallist.
“Also, Whanganui made use of a strong southerly better in the second half than we had in the first.”
Ngāti Porou East Coast coach Kahu Tamatea said his side started the game too slowly and then had to play catch-up, “which doesn’t work against a good team like Whanganui”.
“We played better rugby when we were able to hold on to the ball.”
Whanganui coach Jason Hamlin said: “The game was, as anticipated, physical. We won key moments but the Coast boys stayed in the fight. They made us work as hard as we have all season, and though both sides played to their strengths, that we were able to spread the ball to the edges and attack space from there was big for us.”
The victorious skipper, first five-eighth Dane Whale, knew the game against NPEC would tax Whanganui in every respect.
“The Coast always play with a passion; you have to match that. From our side, there was plenty of self-belief and heart. We knew it would be a tough game. We had to be ruthless and compete in all facets of play.”
Whale won the toss on a beautiful day in the River City and chose to play into the wind. The 800-strong crowd saw from the outset what Hamlin’s men had in store for the Kaupoi.
What they had were battering rams of varied length and thickness, Salu foremost among them. He is typical of a barrel-chested breed of forward who pummels and wears down all but the stoutest of heart.
Whale opened the scoring with a penalty goal struck 18 metres back from the posts for 3-0.
NPEC first-five Terangi Fraser answered in kind from a point 16m off the right touch, 26m out for 3-3.
The first try of the day — to the Butcher Boys — had its origins in Whale’s second kick at goal. From a spot eight metres to the left of the goal, 21m out, the Whanganui captain hit high up on the right post with a penalty attempt in the 27th minute. The ball then fell into the arms of ever-dangerous halfback Lindsay Horrocks. He got the ball down 15m from the right corner for 8-3. Whale converted, for 10-3.
In the 35th minute, Whanganui struck again, after winning a lineout 20m from the right corner on attack. They went left, and centre Alekesio Vakarorogo broke two attempted tackles and scored six metres in from the corner.
Whale converted for the halftime score of 17-3 to Whanganui.
Manawatu referee Stu Curran ran a tight ship and the players responded: no yellow or red cards were shown.
Whanganui opened the second-half scoring 52 minutes into the match, Horrocks wriggling across to score from a five-metre scrum, six metres to the left of the posts, for 22-3. Whale converted for 24-3.
A 22-restart from the Coast was seized upon by Whanganui, whose titans of industry — their tight five — saw to it that Horrocks was in position to give a back-flick pass to Vakarorogo 14m in from the left corner to score. The Whanganui centre’s second try was not converted, and the score was 29-3.
The Coast — under game-day captain No.8 Mitchell Crosswell — scored in the 64th minute.
They won a lineout a metre from the right corner at the rarely seen other end of the park, and through a concerted forward drive, bumped reserve hooker Jaya More over the line a body-length to the left of the posts.
With Fraser’s conversion, the score become 29-10.
Whanganui reserve rake Alesana Tofa scored in the right corner in the 67th minute from a lineout gone wrong, off a pass from brawny No.8 Doug Horrocks.
No conversion followed, but tries to NPEC second-five Tavita Nabura (in the 71st minute, converted by Fraser) and reserve loosehead prop Hakarangi Tichborne (in the 75th minute, converted by Fraser) gave the scoreboard a friendlier look, setting aside Whale’s penalty goals in the 71st and 84th minutes for a final scoreline of 40-24.
The Coast finished with a spirited blast.
