"Centurions needed four tries and the win."
Instead, Hawke's Bay, who had lost the week before, pulled the slight upset at home to make Whanganui the champions.
Traditionally, the winners of the two pools meet in a final – Whanganui hosted the Centurions at Cooks Gardens in 2019 and lost 47-12 – but this year due to Covid delays, the pool winner with the best overall record would lift the prize.
"It would have been good to match up against those guys, but everyone knew the rules going in," said Teki.
Against Horowhenua-Kapiti, midfielder Waqa Nalanga and dynamic loose forward Josefa Namosimalua both scored hat-tricks, while second-five and skipper Shaun O'Leary reached double digits on the number of conversions he slotted.
O'Leary, who is off to the industrious Lincoln University next year and can punch his ticket for either elite level rugby or cricket, has had an outstanding competition and capped it off with a superb all-round kicking performance.
"Any penalty, we were literally back in their 22m [from his boot]," said Teki.
Anthony Sellers also stepped up, moving into first-five, and pulled the backline together.
Teki said he and fellow coaching staff Tony McBride and Tyler Scott were "chuffed" at the squad's efforts, having come together in a very short period of time once activities could resume at Level 2.
"We chucked a lot at them in terms of information. They went out and did what we gave them."
While O'Leary and Nalanga will now leave the region, Teki is pleased that the likes of Namosimalua, Sellers, prop Aporosa Bulivou and hooker Atriane Marino among others appear set to stay to start their working careers and remain in the WRFU club ranks.
Four members of the squad are Year 12's and will be available again at this level in 2022.
