Beginning to back themselves

Jared Smith

On August 23, I raised the question whether the 2014 edition of the Steelform Wanganui team could be polished up to gold, or follow their 2013 predecessors as merely base metal.

Just over two months later the conclusion reached is that while the gold remains elusive, a least there was a healthy polish of bronze.

Ultimately the collection of the Lochore Cup from two wins on the road in consecutive weeks over King Country and North Otago - with the 37-6 destruction of King Country being the best performance in 24 months - will gloss over the disappointments of August to late-September and certainly save the reputation of coach Jason Caskey and his staff.

Up until that point, with a 3-5 record, the team were looking at their worst record since 2002 and could only pray to even match the disappointment of 2013 under the disposed Karl Hoskin, whose team played horrible rugby yet still eked out some late-game wins in a 4-5 season.

If you pass judgment purely on the statistics, the horrific slump had continued unabated as Wanganui finished the regular season in a distant eighth out of 12 teams, only making the Lochore playoffs by the space of a try, based on a barely superior for/against record over Thames Valley.

The torches may well have been lit for Caskey then, if Thames Valley had not stumbled in their last game against West Coast or goal kicker David Harrison not had a shocker in their two-point loss to Wairarapa Bush the fortnight before.

Yet what the statistics do not show is while they didn't have the results to prove it, Caskey, Guy Lennox and Jason Hamlin were slowly beginning to rebuild a key facet within the team which they remembered from their previous coaching tenure.

It was a facet which had disappeared 12 months before after nearly a decade of being taken for granted - self-belief.

The desperation to secure any and all possession at the breakdown, which only incurred the wrath of multiple referees, was overcome with patience as the forwards began to show faith that their backline might just be able to hold up their end.

A willingness to attack the line with the understanding at least one support player will get on the shoulder also emerged, and suddenly the holes began to open up again.

As captain Peter Rowe deduced, suddenly things just "felt better" within the team. Once again, they were having fun.

A siege mentality also developed as the side transitioned from their traditional favourites tag to being the underdogs, while a number of players finally accepted that no-one else was going to be able to do it for them.

The likes of veteran Ace Malo, Simon Dibben, standout origin player Bryn Hudson, and Lasa Ulukuta had their seasons virtually declared over with injuries, yet they would all pop up again within a fortnight. That's courage.

Those who didn't show this commitment were soon discarded - Taranaki import Josh Hamilton departed under an injury cloud, yet whispers of attitude problems followed him, especially after there was no hint of his return when young first-fives Dane Whale and Zyon Hekenui got hurt.

Caskey praised the likes of Whale, John Laurie, Viki Tofa, and Kamipeli Latu for exceeding his expectations after being in a tough spot. They helped develop sorely-needed depth, while also meeting their rugby community's lofty expectations straight off the bat.

Their evolution is encouraging because the steady hands of Malo, Rowe, and Shaun McDonough cannot be there forever, although with the prospect of his 100th cap dangling as the carrot, Rowe will be back for another campaign.

He may have looked smaller in bulk than he did in 2012, but after seven tries this season, Auckland import Rhema Sagote will keep his phone number in the Caskey roller-deck.

It all points to a more settled 2015 and hopefully a return to where Wanganui rugby should always be - Meads Cup contention.

While a trophy is always satisfying, the Lochore Cup does not sugarcoat the fact that four unions out of 12 had a better year than Wanganui.

The fifth placing, as opposed to seventh, should also mean a slightly easier 2015 schedule, perhaps just 1-2 South Island tour games as opposed to three.

The team, and their management, have done much to restore faith within themselves, which should earn them a year's grace from the rugby community, which can be repaid with a 2015 Meads Cup podium finish.