Aggressive approach the only way to go

Throwing caution to the wind may not be the recipe for success for Oldfields Wairarapa-Bush when they challenge Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield at Jade Stadium next Tuesday but it's the only logical way to face such a daunting assignment.
In the days before professionalism victory to the rank underdogs could never be completely ignored in shield matches but now the only question is what the lesser lights will be beaten by.
Just how big the gulf between the first and second tier provincial sides has become was clearly illustrated when near neighbours, South Canterbury, challenged Canterbury for the "log of wood" earlier this week.
Canterbury had very few of their top liners available for that particular game but they won in a canter with the 80-15 winning margin actually flattering the challengers.
With the holders welcoming back their Junior All Blacks on Tuesday the rugby public in general will probably be anticipating a scoreline of that magnitude again but the Wairarapa-Bush camp themselves would be very disappointed if that was the case.
The message from the South Canterbury game was clear, give Canterbury an inch and they will take a mile. Even without the McCaws, Thornes etc they have talented loose forwards to burn and they like nothing better than to range wide in support of their pacy backs in attacking situations.
The best way of restricting Canterbury's scoring opportunities if, of course, to gain at least parity in the battle for possession and that has to start in the set pieces of scrum and lineout.
Encouraging progress has been made by Wairarapa-Bush in both those departments through their three lead-up games but the pressure placed on them there by Canterbury will be something else and how they cope will determine to a large extent on how competitive they are overall.
Noone understands that better, of course, than astute coach Peter Russell and he is sure to have Wairarapa-Bush varying their numbers at lineout time in an attempt to catch Canterbury off guard there.
Also quick delivery to the scrum has to be a priority if the famed efficiency of the Cantabrians in that area is to be contained.
One imagines too that Wairarapa-Bush will be looking to spend as little time as possible in the rucks and mauls for Canterbury have made a habit of using that part of the game as the launching pad for their most potent attacks.Invariably they go two or three phases to ensure that the opposition loosies are dragged into the fray and then move the ball quickly to their outside backs so they have the time and space to strut their stuff.
That being the case the more broken play situations the Wairarapa-Bush forwards can create the better.Even their bigger men like captain Joe Harwood, Tomasi Kedarabuka and Mike Robinson are very handy when it comes to running with the ball and the more opportunity they and loosies Sam Henderson, Mike Spence and Sylvanus Iro have to stretch the Canterbury defence in close the better.
For Iro, in particular, a big effort on Tuesday could reap similarly big rewards as he will have just returned from the In ternational Rugby Academy's high performance course in Palmerston North.Being selected for that course suggests he is being ear-marked for higher honours and by impressing against a team of Canterbury's calibre he will obviously do nothing but assist his cause.
The Wairarapa-Bush backs will need to be very bit as inventive as their forwards if they are to have a positive impact on proceedings. Halfbacks Hamish McKenzie and James Bruce ,first-five Patrick Rimene and second-five Nathan Couch are all old heads on the rep scene now and they will have to use all their guile to give a potentially exciting lot of outside backs the chance to demonstrate their talents.
It will be a severe blow for Wairarapa-Bush, of course, if centre Simanu Simanu succumbs to a knee injury and is unable to take the field as his aggressiveness on both attack and defence would be sorely missed.
For two of the Wairarapa-Bush backs, fullback Teato Lalfaele and wing Junior Tongia,Tuesday's match will be their first for the union but if their c.vs mean anything they should be valuable acquisitions Lalfaele from Northern United is the leading points scorer in Wellington club rugby this season and is a major reason behind his club being the current pacesetter in the Jubilee Cup series while Tongia has been a prolific try scorer for another Wellington club, Tawa, this season and for Buller in 2005.Wairarapa-Bush saw his talent at first hand in NPC third division games last year as he scored three times against them then.
Undoubtedly there will be some local rugby folk who will question the wisdom of bringing in the two "imports" for Tuesday's game but , for me, it's a sensible move as there is an obvious dearth of quality players at fullback and wing on our own club scene and, importantly, Lalfaele and Tongia will be available for the NPC first division games which follow.
Finally then what can be REALLY expect from Wairarapa-Bush at Jade? A win would be as close to mission impossible as you could get so we'll settle for a highly-charged, totally aggressive effort which does us all proud.
Go the Bush!!!!!!