All eyes on pack for pre-season fixture

MY BALL: Joe Beech takes down lineout ball against Horowhenua-Kapiti last season.PHOTO/FILE

All eyes will be on the forward battle when Wairarapa-Bush confront Manawatu development squad in a pre-season rugby match at Memorial Park, Masterton, tomorrow.

Remarkably only lock Joe Beech of the eight forwards likely to be in the starting line-up represented Wairarapa-Bush last season, and he was hardly a regular, playing in just a couple of games.

Prop Kurt Simmonds and lock Andrew McLean are no strangers to the provincial scene but missed all of 2013 through injury, No 8 Tom Fleming made several appearances a couple of seasons back and hooker Eugene Gerrard, prop Ollie Terblanche and openside flanker Rima Marurai did take the field in the 55-14 whipping of Horowhenua-Kapiti in a "friendly" in early June. Blindside flanker Andrew McWhirter, who plays his club rugby for Old Boys University in Wellington, will be wearing the Wairarapa-Bush colours for the first time.

Head coach Mark Rutene concedes he doesn't quite know what to expect from his pack although he is confident they have the skills to compete well against what will be spirited opposition.

"There are a lot of guys there who will be keen to show they are capable of playing at Heartland level ... it's pretty much a trial in that respect," Rutene said. "We haven't had a lot of time to work on combinations but there's been plenty of enthusiasm and hopefully things will work out."

With Zeb Aporo and Sam Monaghan recovering from niggly injuries, Inia Katia and newcomer Ben Aiona, another "import" from Wellington, will be at halfback and first-five respectively for Wairarapa-Bush with Tapaga Isaac and Paul Tikomainavalu in midfield, Nathan Hunt and Cameron Hayton on the wings and Nick Olson at fullback.

Rutene is keen to see his backs adopt an attacking stance and expects Manawatu development squad to approach tomorrow's match in similar vein.

"It's the sort of game where you can try certain things without having to worry too much about the end result so there should be plenty of movement," he said.