The hosts saw that from attacking scrums their backline held a big edge, and so it proved in their third try when Heartland second five Cyrus Tasi took the pass and just busted his way through for 19-0.
King Country had a solid forward pack who looked to put the pressure on, getting a couple of penalties, and when they drove at the line, hooker Chey Jacobs seemed set to score until the maul was pulled down and a penalty try given, with flanker Isaac Jordan sinbinned.
But Whanganui finished the first half strongly despite being a man down, reclaiming the restart kick and spreading the ball so winger CJ Stowers could fend off the cover and score in the corner.
King Country then started the second stanza strongly with more pressure through forward build-up inside Whanganui’s 15m, with Waitokia sin-binned right at the end of Jordan’s sentence for impeding the ruck.
But with the wind behind them, Whanganui cleared their zone, and when King Country missed touch, Riddles set Tasi and the outside backs loose before the pack rumbled to the line, then Pakinga’s flat pass hit Riddles right through the gap to score.
A tap penalty near the line saw the forwards carry again, and then Pakinga drifted wide and got the call from Heartland loose forward Beau Walker on his inside shoulder to turn the pass back inside for Walker to run through and score.
The returned Waitokia made his second try look effortless, as he darted from a ruck near the sideline and then cut back to centre field and just kept standing up defenders to canter in for his double.
Whanganui then had to finish the match without reserve winger Peniani Waqatabu after a mistimed head-high tackle saw a third yellow card, but they uncorked the try of the game when Pakinga ran from deep inside his 22m and set up reserve forward Sevanaia Vucinimoce charging down the touchline, finding Stowers with an inside overhead pass, who in turn made his own offload for lock Bonefasio Tabuanivalu to dive over.
There was just enough time left for King Country to grab a little consolation, as they turned over the kickoff for lock and skipper Yahweh Jhanke to go on a final dash and dive in beside the posts, fullback Logan Patterson adding the extras.
Whanganui Development XV 52 (T Waitokia 2, S Brosnahan, C Tasi, C Stowers, C Riddles, B Walker, B Tabuanivalu tries; S Pakinga 6 con) bt King Country Big Horns 14 (Y Jhanke try, penalty try; L Patterson con). HT: 24-7.
