Konradd Newland (closest to camera) and his Whanganui pack prepare to set a scrum. Photo / Kate Belsham
Konradd Newland (closest to camera) and his Whanganui pack prepare to set a scrum. Photo / Kate Belsham
A convincing 40-24 scalping of Lochore Cup rugby champions Ngāti Porou East Coast at Cooks Gardens last weekend has moved Steelform Whanganui to third place in the 2023 Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship and with bright prospects of reaching the Meads Cup playoffs.
To make the cut-throat qualifying a certainty, the Butcher Boys require victories against both near neighbours Wairarapa-Bush in Masterton this coming Saturday, and over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Cooks Gardens the following weekend.
Lindsay Horrocks running the ball for Steelform Whanganui. Pic/Kate Belsham
Whanganui will be defending the Bruce Steel Memorial Cup in the two fixtures and on current revived form plus results from recent seasons, the Butcher Boys will start firm favourites to win both games.
With two victories there is a possibility of hosting Thames Valley on October 7 in the semifinals, should the Swamp Foxes lose away to North Otago this weekend or at home against unpredictable East Coast in the last qualifying round on September 30.
After very patchy wet-weather away performances against Buller and King Country, it has been great to see such improvement within the squad, with 110 points scored in the past three fixtures.
Current championship points: South Canterbury 30, Thames Valley 25, Whanganui 22, East Coast 20, North Otago (+45 points differential) and Wairarapa-Bush (-43 points) 17, West Coast 16, Mid Canterbury 13, King Country (-60 points) and Horowhenua-Kapiti (-71 points) 11, Poverty Bay 10, Buller 8.
On present points, South Canterbury and Thames Valley are expected to host the Meads Cup semis. Last year the Butchers beat the Foxes 25-18 on Cooks Gardens and lost 47-36 to South Canterbury at Pleasant Point in the final.
Keira J. Mete-Renata running for Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom Whanganui women's rep side. Photo / Kate Belsham
This season unbeaten South Canterbury have scored 250 points, conceded 114 and have a game average of 42-19. Thames Valley are 182, 160, 30-27; Whanganui 170, 119, 28-20; and West Coast 167, 141, 28-23.
South Canterbury are home to neighbours Mid Canterbury and away to Poverty Bay in the coming fortnight.
Whanganui play on the potentially dangerous Memorial Park artificial turf, which can inflict painful grass burns, in Masterton on Saturday.
The Rams, who finished 10th in 2021 and 11th last year, are unbeaten at the park this campaign, pipping East Coast 32-31 on opening day and then Poverty Bay 34-30 and King Country 35-26.
The side have lost all three away games - 50-3 at North Otago, 27-12 against Horowhenua-Kapiti and 27-20 against Buller.
Since amalgamating with Bush in 1971, the Masterton-based Wairarapa-Bush have won 18 of 46 games against Whanganui, who have a winning average match score of 35-31, scoring 1012 points, conceding 881 and with a highest victory of 79-7 at Cooks Gardens in 2017.
Anahera Hamahona in action for the Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom Whanganui women's rep side. Photo /Kate Belsham
That score, which included 10 converted tries, was also the highest in one of 10 Heartland victories over the Stags, who won the inaugural 2006 Meads Cup final 16-14 at Cooks Gardens and two home championship qualifying matches - 21-17 in 2009 and 28-18 in 2019.
Whanganui have scored 440 points and conceded 267 (average score 35-21) in 13 Heartland games.
In Bruce Steel Cup fixtures since 1976, the Butchers have won 13 of 15 clashes, the only defeats being 29-18 at Pahīatua in 1972 and 28-18 at Masterton in 2019.
Whanganui first played in the Memorial Cup series in 1966, a year after the trophy was donated by Carterton publican W.H. Steel in memory of his son Bruce, a former rep player.
The unbeaten Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom Whanganui women’s rep side, which scored 13 tries in whipping East Coast by a record 79-0 last Saturday, are playing in the final of the North Island Heartland women’s championship at Delaney Park in Taupō this weekend.
