Backs switch position as Pride coach looks for a 'lethal' combination

Eketahuna backs Maia Tua-Davidson and Shakira Baker will have positional changes when their Wellington Pride women's rugby team looks to continue their unbeaten record in the NPC competition by beating Hawke's Bay at the Petone Recreation Ground tomorrow.
Tua-Davidson has been a regular at fullback but will move to centre on this occasion with Baker transferring from centre to the wing.
Coach Grant Edmonds sees Tua-Davidson's aggressive running and impressive communication skills adding much needed punch to the Wellington midfield and he is excited at the prospect of her creating enough space
for Baker to fully utilise her speed and power.
'Those two could be lethal together, they both like to dominate their markers and hopefully they will get the chance to do so," Edmonds said.
Other Eketahuna players in the starting line-up tomorrow will be first-five Rebecca Mahoney and lock Perri Tatana while usual No.8 Emma Aldworth will start on the bench, but not through any lack of form. Edmonds simply wants to give one of the usual reserves extra game time and sees Aldworth entering the fray early in the second half.
With just one win from their three NPC games thus far Hawke's Bay should not cause too many headaches for Wellington but Edmonds wants a strong performance as a final dress rehearsal to their clash with competition favourites Canterbury in Christchurch the following weekend.
That women's rugby is taking a strong hold in the Wairarapa-Bush region is evidenced by the increased entries received for the annual secondary schoolgirls 10-a-side tournament to be played at Memorial Park on Sunday.
This year's event sees six out of the seven colleges in the area represented, the exception being St Matthew's Collegiate who, unfortunately, have other sporting commitments.
Wairarapa College Hotel have dominated this tourney since its inception four years ago, having taken the spoils on three occasions, and they are keen to keep the shield in their cabinet.
Several of the players in all six sides will be experiencing their first taste of rugby and if past history counts for anything many of them will take it up on a more regular basis in the seasons ahead.
Already three teams from Wairarapa-Bush are playing in the Manawatu secondary schoolgirls competition, Kuranui, Tararua and a Barbarians team comprising players from Wairarapa College, Makoura College, St Matthew's and Chanel.
Several former Wairarapa pupils are now playing at NPC level for sides such as Wellington, Manawatu and Otago as well.
The draw for pool games on Sunday is:-
Round one at 1pm: Tararua College v Wairarapa College Hostel, Wairarapa College Day Pupils v Makoura College, Chanel-Solway College v Kuranui College.
Round two at 1.30pm: Wairarapa College Hotsel v Wairarapa College Day Pupils, Makoura College v Chanel-Solway College, Kuranui College v Tararua College.
Round three at 2pm: Wairarapa College Day Pupil v Chanel-Solway College, Kuranui College v Wairarapa College Hostel, Tararua College v Makoura College.
Round four at 2.30pm: Wairarapa College Day Pupils v Kuranui College, Makoura College v Wairarapa College Hostel, Tararua College v Solway College.