All the way was Rutene's goal

Mark Rutene

Wairarapa-Bush head coach Mark Rutene has mixed feelings over his team's effort to place third in the 2013 Heartland rugby championship.

It was the second successive season under Rutene that Wairarapa-Bush had made it into the semifinals of the premier section, the Meads Cup,but also the second they bowed out at that stage. North Otago's 48-34 win at Oamaru on Saturday again confined them to a minor placing.

Considering Wairarapa-Bush started their latest Heartland campaign without three of their best performers of the previous season; prop and captain Kurt Simmonds, lock Andrew McLean and midfield back Jesse McGilvary, and lost star flanker James Goodger for about six weeks because of facial injuries, most critics would see third as a satisfactory outcome.

For Rutene, however, it was more a case of "good but not good enough". His own goal - and that of the team - was to follow last year's major improvement with the Meads Cup title, so while third placing held merit it meant they had fallen short of the ultimate objective.

"The expectations were to go all the way so there is some disappointment in finishing third, we can't hide that," Rutene said.

"We gave ourselves the chance and didn't take it, and that's frustrating."

Rutene was quick to emphasise, however, that he and assistant coach Paddy Gough never had any reason to question their players' commitment.

"They were a great bunch to work with, the team spirit was outstanding and they had a strong desire to do well, both for themselves and their union," he said. "Nobody felt the losses more than they did, I can guarantee that."

Rutene saw one of Wairarapa-Bush's main attributes was the stern competition for starting places, with all of the squad pressing hard for places each week.

"We never had any worries about weakening the team effort through subs being made ... we could go to the reserves' bench and know they would make an impact. It's a good position for any coach to be in."

Turning over ball in contact situations had been one aspect of Wairarapa-Bush's play which was too often a problem, Rutene conceded.

"A lot of it had to do with body position. We'd go in high and either lose the ball or be held up," he said.

"It's the sort of thing you can get away with in club rugby but not at the higher level, the old heads are quick to pounce there."

Rutene was also aware that while Wairarapa-Bush picked up bonus points for scoring four or more tries in about half their Heartland games, virtually none of them had stemmed from set-piece play.

"We seemed to find it difficult to strike from the set pieces, the bulk of our tries came after the ball had been worked through at least three or four phases."

Rutene was fulsome in his praise of the support his squad received from the sidelines, saying it compared more than favourably with the backing the other Heartland teams enjoyed.

"Our supporters were fantastic, there wasn't a game when they weren't there in good numbers, and the guys really appreciated that."

Rutene has yet to decide whether he will seek the head coach position for the 2014 season, but does admit to a feeling of "unfinished business" after twice taking Wairarapa-Bush to the Meads Cup semis and failing to advance beyond that.

"I think it's best to say I'll give it serious consideration and leave it at that," Rutene said.