There were private wars all over the park - try-scoring South Canterbury lock Anthony Amato squaring up to Whanganui's Josh Lane, the No 8s Siu Kakala and Semi Vodosese having a ding-dong battle, while it was excitement personified in the battle of speedsters Kalavini Leatigaga and Alekesio Vakarorogo, with the latter scoring the first and last tries of the final to finish with 10 for the season.
But in the conflict between the generals, South Canterbury's first five Sam Briggs was immaculate - carving off huge metres on his tactical and clearing kicks against Whanganui skipper Dane Whale and fullback Ethan Robinson, while slotting nine goals from 10 attempts.
Ironically it was Whale who became the final member of Whanganui's 2022 "Card Club", as his 53rd-minute sinbinning for a professional foul while defending right on the try line proved decisive.
It was the crack in the door South Canterbury needed and they kicked that door down.
Having destroyed teams in the second half all season, they turned it on with Briggs slotting two penalties to book-end Leatigaga, a counter-attack specialist, snatching an intercept to dash through the gap in the backline and run 60 metres under the posts.
The damage was now done at 30-22 to the hosts when Whale returned, as Briggs slotted another penalty before reserve loose forward Salesi Savelio snatched up a ruck turnover, then starting blindside flanker Cam Russell found space out wide, both of them scoring under the posts for unmissable conversions.
It showed the supreme confidence of the hosts that Savelio, Russell and first-half try-scoring fullback Liueli Simote were already celebrating before they put the ball down.
With the game gone at 47-22, Whanganui showed what might have been when they finally got a couple more penalties to work into position to drive at the line, receiving a penalty try, and then the reserve players combined with Whanganui's other try-scoring winger Tyler Rogers-Holden to sweep end-to-end for Vakarorogo to score on fulltime and bring some respectability back to the scoreline.
Other standouts for Whanganui were prop Keightley Watson, who held up South Canterbury's big scrum firmly, second-five Timoci Seruwalu backing himself close to the line for a barnstorming try, and the veterans Roman Tutauha and Lindsay Horrocks having a hand in the best attacks in the first half.
Whanganui avoided the pitfall that trapped other teams this year by not conceding points to the hosts right before halftime, becoming the first team to lead the Cantabrians at the break since the fifth round of 2021.
But so strong all over the park - a team truly at their peak - when South Canterbury got their opportunities they were ruthless in execution, which Whale acknowledged in his post-match television interview.
"Definitely proud of the boys' efforts. It takes 80 minutes to win a final and I thought we were there for about 60 minutes," Whale said.
"You drop the ball there for 20 minutes, and they're all over it. They're a quality side and deserved the win today."
It hurt Whale that his yellow card ultimately proved the turning of the tide.
"It doesn't help the team out when you're like that, but they put us under that pressure, to be putting ourselves in that boat."
In a season with a new head coach and captain and a host of fresh players stepping up to more prominent roles, Whale wants the side to be back in contention in 2023.
"A lot of young boys in this team, so I'm keen to grow those guys that are keen to be part of this union," he said.
"I'm a proud Whanganui man, will be until I die. Huge support, [thank] everyone that did come down."
Coach Jason Hamlin was of the same mind - the hope will be Whanganui can build its Premier club grade back up from five teams and the representative squad can keep improving, while South Canterbury has nowhere to go but back down.
"It's a stock standard thing to say we're building for the future, but you can see through the squad... there's a real core and nucleus of young players," Hamlin said.
"[Today] we just lost a couple of moments.
"Those three tries just hurt us, and they kept kicking penalties.
"The next period of time just costs us, but when they came back and had some ball, they could score."
Another facet for Hamlin to consider in 2023 is why his team so often seems to be so out of step with the officials - the "Card Club" had too many members.
"I know we're not perfect, but I'll blow smoke somewhere if teams aren't infringing as us.
"We didn't feel we were getting the ability to present the ball," Hamlin said.
"But in saying that, it's the one team that can do that to you [multiple scores off penalties]."
Whanganui had a dream start after six phases of control to enter South Canterbury's half, Horrocks dashing from the ruck and finding Tutauha , who offloaded for Vakarorogo to crash over by the posts.
But five penalties conceded in a row had Whanganui trapped in their danger zone defending attacking lineouts, and finally after Simote was just stopped short in the opposite corner, Amato took the carry and dived through two low tackles to lock the scores up at 7-7.
South Canterbury kept coming and so did the penalties, Briggs putting his side ahead with a simple three-pointer in front, although Whanganui did get that back after they regained the kickoff and South Canterbury didn't release at the ruck, with Robinson converting.
But again, the turnaround was immediate, as Whanganui spilled the kickoff, and from the scrum, Simote ran onto a line ball from centre Zac Saunders to step the cover tackles and score.
Having had only about 25 per cent possession at that point, Whanganui stepped up in the second quarter, working up through 12 phases of recycle and carry, and although Robinson missed the eventual penalty, Vakarorogo ran back the drop-out and found the gap, as Tutauha linked with Seruwalu.
From the ruck, a long Horrocks pass went to prop Gabriel Hakaraia, who fed Rogers-Holden to fend his way through to score in the corner for 17-15.
Whanganui then regained the lead in the 37th minute after lock Ben Whale won a ruck penalty to put them on attack, and after multiple hit-ups, the ball went wide where, despite having an overlap, Seruwalu backed himself to power through two tacklers and score closer to the posts for Robinson to convert.
The game stayed on a knife-edge for the first 10 minutes of the second half, Briggs having his only kick miss at that time, with his team looking a little disjointed in the face of resolute Whanganui defence.
But when prop Tokomaata Fakatava found a half-gap, Whanganui were pinged for an early tackle on his support runner, and Briggs booted them right into the attacking pocket.
After three consecutive offside penalties, referee Playle told Whale he had to go, with flanker Jamie Hughes taking over the captaincy.
Briggs slotted the three points, and when Whanganui looked to attack inside the hosts' half, a long pass through the backline was snatched by Leatigaga, and despite a great chase by Vakarorogo, just as this pair did in 2021, Leatigaga had too much of a head start.
Briggs duly converted, and then utilised attacking chips and cross-kicks to great effect to play havoc in Whanganui's backfield, South Canterbury getting another holding penalty and a further 10m for frustrated backchat, with the first five slotting the kick for a 30-22 turnaround as Whale returned in the 62nd minute.
South Canterbury kept pouring in, and even when Whanganui earned a penalty to try and carry out of their territory, Kakala isolated the runner and got the whistle in his favour, with Briggs again dead-eyed on the kick.
Relentless now, Briggs and reserve halfback Theo Davidson kept up the attacking kicks with chasers right behind them to keep Whanganui pinned in their own half, and when Saunders ripped the ball off Whanganui at the breakdown, it fell right to Savelio who sprinted off and score with eight minutes left.
If South Canterbury hoped that was enough, they were certain of it a few minutes later when they regained another kick, Leatigaga and reserve Tomasi Bikaca having a crack down both sidelines, before the pass came back out to Russell to step through and score, being mobbed by supporters in the in-goal.
With the game gone at 47-22, Whanganui showed what might have been as they got a penalty for an attacking lineout of their own, and when South Canterbury infringed on the maul to the line, Playle jogged to the posts.
Then from their own 22m, Whanganui attacked through reserve centre Kameli Kuruyabaki linking with Rogers-Holden to make the attacking half, where reserve prop Ranato Tikoisolomone fed reserve hooker Jack Yarrall to attack the line.
That left a gap out wide where a long bounce pass fell for Vakarorogo to jog in Whanganui's last try of 2022.
South Canterbury 47 (Anthony Amato, Liueli Simote, Kalavini Leatigaga, Salesi Savelio, Cam Russell tries; Sam Briggs 4 pen, 5 con) bt Whanganui 36 (Alekesio Vakarorogo 2, Tyler Rogers-Holden, Timoci Seruwalu tries, penalty try; Ethan Robinson pen, 2 con, Dane Whale con). HT: 22-17 Whanganui.
Around the grounds
Sevens
The Whanganui Rugby Football Union will finally see a return to club sevens rugby after Covid prevented it for a couple of years.
The Settlers Honey Whanganui Invitation Club Sevens will be held in Marton on January 28.
There will be three divisions: Open Men's, Open Women's and Open Men's Tight Five for the less speedy forwards. Teams can register at this link: https://forms.gle/7RnDj62u7jy7c15ZA .
Awards
Tickets are still available for the Whanganui Rugby Awards this coming Saturday, October 29. Celebrating the top players, coaches, and volunteers at club and representative level, the 2022 awards will be at The Barracks Bar.
Guest speaker will be former international referee and current Tasman Rugby Union chief executive Lyndon Bray. Email kflower@whanganuirugby.co.nz.
Trophy record
While they were unsuccessful in Saturday's Meads Cup final, and South Canterbury have now won the Meads Cup back-to-back, Steelform Whanganui's Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship title record remains uncatchable for now. Since the competition started in 2006, with 2020 cancelled due to Covid, Whanganui has made 12 Meads Cup finals, winning six, and two Lochore Cup finals, winning both.
