Third straight Meads Cup victory seals South Canterbury rugby's 500th win

Sunday, 15 October 2023

South Canterbury co-captain, William Wright talks about winning rugby's Heartland Championship three years in a row.

A third straight Meads Cup final win has pushed South Canterbury rugby to a milestone mark in its history on Saturday.

The green and blacks 40-30 win over Whanganui was not only the side’s 31st straight win in the Heartland Championship but was also the South Canterbury Rugby Union's 500th first class win since its first rep match in 1888.

South Canterbury’s co-captains Tokomaata Fakatava and William Wright with the Meads Cup after Whanganui was beaten 40-30 in the Heartland Championship final at the Temuka Domain.

And the home side and favourites completed the Meads Cup win in some style at the Temuka Domain, coming from 15-6 behind midway through the first half to unleash its potent attackers, eventually outscoring the visitors five tries to four.

SC coach Nigel Walsh described the win as 'very, very special'.

'Winning any final is a proud day and not everybody gets to play or coach in a final, and we are lucky to be able to put ourselves in that situation and to come out with wins like today.”

Looking back on the three final wins, Walsh said the 'first one was fantastic, the second one great, this one here is very, very special.'

South Canterbury celebrates after winning the Meads Cup in the Heartland Championship, at Temuka, on Saturday.

'I'm just so proud of the boys, the effort, the energy, the excitement, the commitment, the dedication.

'We knew we had to tick a lot of boxes on the way through the season, and we knew we had to do a good job today up against a very good Whanganui side and they played out of their skins. They didn't tick all the boxes but the boxes they ticked they did them well and we took our opportunities and did a great job.'

South Canterbury winger Kalavini Leatigaga scores one of his two tries against Whanganui in the Meads Cup final at the Temuka Domain.

Leading SC's charge were back five forwards, Amthony Amato, Tevita Ahokovi, Loni Toumohuni, Finlay Joyce and Siu Kakala, were immense throughout in all facets while the front row of Vaka Taelega, Conor Anderson and Tokomaata Fakatava were rock solid in the scrums and prominent in broken play.

Winger Kalavini Leatigaga grabbed a double and fullback Liuele Simote was dangerous as always, but first five-eighth Sam Briggs was the key, driving Whanganui back with some huge kicks and setting up situations from which try-scoring attacks came.

South Canterbury prop Vaka Taelega loses the ball just short of the try line during the Meads Cup final against Whanganui at the Temuka Domain.

All the early momentum was with Whanganui.

South Canterbury’s Loni Toumohuni runs around behind the posts to score South Canterbury’s first try in their Meads Cup win over Whanganui at the Temuka Domain on Saturday.

The visitors looked slick in the early stages, stringing phases together and constantly stretching the SC defence through the likes of flanker Josefa Namosimalua and second five-eighth Timoci Seruwalu, and it was no surprise when they led 8-0 after 13 minutes through a Dane Whale penalty and try to Seruwalu.

SC closed to 8-6 with penalties to Sam Briggs as the home side upped the tempo and found its attacking rhythm but Whanganui's defence could not be breached at that stage.

SC then went 15-6 behind with a converted try under the posts to Whale. That sparked a momentum change and a 17-point SC scoring run that secured a 23-15 half-time lead that had earlier looked unlikely.

South Canterbury players and supporters in a team huddle after winning the Heartland Championship in Temuka.

Toumohuni grabbed the first try as backs and forwards combined to stretch Whanganui's defence while Briggs added a conversion and a penalty to take the lead for the first time. On the back of a huge touchfinder from Briggs, SC then scored through Leatigaga who burrowed through from a ruck near the posts.

SC landed a telling blow just two minutes after the restart - moments both Walsh and Whanganui coach Jason Hamlin mentioned.

The try was sparked from 70m with halfback William Wright, Leatigaga and No 8 Siu Kakala involved in a passing interchange down the left-hand side that ended with Leatigaga grabbing his second.

South Canterbury forward Solomone Lavaka is mobbed by spectators shortly after scoring against Whanganui in the Meads Cup final at the Temuka Domain.

'We knew we had to come out and start straight away after half time and finish the first half well and the boys did that,'' Walsh said.

Hamlin said: 'You often hear it … the one before halftime and the one after … they just killed us.'

SC could not maintain the momentum, a point also acknowledged by Walsh, and Whanganui surged back on the back of some errors and closed to 28-20 with prop Raymond Salu scored and followed that up with a penalty to close to 28-23.

'We let them back in for a couple which was a bit disappointing, but that's footie,' Walsh said.

'We got the good side of it … 31 games and a three-peat, what else can you ask from a group of players … not just the 23, but the 30 odd players that were there.'

SC regained the momentum with a try to Wright following more good interplay between backs and forwards - 33-23 - only for Whanganui to close to 33-30 with a converted try to winger Apolosi Tanoa with about 15 minutes remaining.

SC hung tough over the closing stages and sealed the match with a converted try to substitute forward Solomone Lavaka but celebrations from a group of home fans behind the dead ball line threatened to cause an ugly incident.

The 15-20 fans mobbed the SC players, shoving Whanganui players out of the way which saw the visitors' substitutes bench cleared and running towards to the mob's celebrations.

The result was pushing and shoving but players thankfully kept their cool and the match eventually finished several minutes later without incident.

Hamlin added he thought discipline was also a key to the result.

“I also thought when we held the ball I thought we could see what we could do with it as well … we knew it was going to be that type of game and it was just about holding the ball at this level and we did it, we looked really good … we didn't do it enough,” Hamlin said.