Ball in hand will win day

The old clich? about possession being nine-tenths of the law promises to ring true when Eketahuna and Carterton meet in the grand final of the Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby competition at Memorial Park, Masterton tomorrow.
Every indication is that both sides will be placing huge emphasis on forward domination and, consequently, the team which calls the tune up front is very likely to emerge with the spoils.
It would be wrong, however, to assume the game will therefore develop into a myriad of scrums, lineouts, rucks and mauls.
That certainly won't be the case if Carterton have their way. Their pack is absolutely chockful of players who relish the opportunity to run with the ball and they will be intent on moving the bulkier Eketahuna forwards around the paddock on a regular basis. The less set play rugby the better for them.
Mind you, it's not as if Carterton don't have the skills up front to win their fair share of ball if the game becomes a forward slog. Front rowers Bert Buckle, Joe Harwood and Jeremy Sargent hardly need reminding of the value of hard graft and in the Fijian duo Tomasi Kedarabuka and Langi Peters they have tall timber who excel at lineout time.
It is the mobility of the tight five though which could be Carterton's greatest attribute. With Harwood and Kedarabuka as their spearheads they are capable of huge gains with ball in hand. In no area are they more dangerous than the rolling maul and if Eketahuna's close quarter defence is not up to scratch there they could find themselves in a big trouble.
The other side of the coin for Carterton, however, is that if they become too loose in their forward play then Eketahuna will be in their element.
Their pack demonstrated in the last hour of their semi-final with Gladstone last weekend just how potent they can be in the more physically demanding areas of the game and they will be backing themselves to batter Carterton into submission there as well.
Front rowers Brendan Walker, Matthew Cox and Angus McMillan make up a powerful scrummaging unit and while locks Peter Bond and Josh Mackley don't have the reputation of their Carterton opposites, as lineout forwards they invariably do the business there.
There is an impressive ruggedness too about the Eketahuna loosies, captain Steve Olds, player-coach Dave Smith and the under-rated Luke Mahoney, with Olds' ability to break the first line of defence when on the run clearly making him the player of the match in last weekend's semi-final.
Playing opposite Olds tomorrow will be Brodie Duffin and it will be interesting to make a comparison between the two as they are both very much in the running for the back row berth in the Wairarapa-Bush NPC side.
Promising youngster Reuben Daysh and Fijian Andrew Compain complete the Carterton loose trio and like the rest of their pack they too are adept at the running game.
So different are the tactics likely to be applied by the two packs it's hard to escape the feeling that referee John Kendal could have a big say too in how play develops there.
Carterton's hope will be that he is prepared to let the rucks and mauls go long enough for them to get their runners into advantageous positions while, conversely Eketahuna won't mind if he blows earlier and allows them to utilise any edge they might have at scrum time.
And while on the subject of the forwards what a feat it would be should prop Dean Cadwallader get onto the paddock for Carterton. His durability is shown by the fact that he was part of the last Carterton team to win the premier division title, and that was back in 1990!
Cadwallader has filled in for Carterton this season whenever they have been short of front row forwards but may not be required for the on field action in this grand final. If not then look for him to be the water boy!
While both backlines are expected to play secondary roles to their forwards tomorrow there is no doubt that Eketahuna, in particular, have enough play makers there to threaten.
Halfback Hamish McKenzie was, in fact, the star act when Eketahuna beat Carterton in one of their preliminary round matches-Carterton won the other- with his sniping runs and astute tactical kicking often catching Carterton off guard.
They will need to keep a close watch on him, along with pacy wing Joji Tamani, who scored four tries when Eketahuna hammered Gladstone in last year's final, and fullback Simanu Simanu, who despite still struggling for full fitness is undoubtedly the most dangerous counter attacker in the premier division series.
Allowing him space in which to move is fraught with danger and he's become a very accurate goal kicker as well.
Carterton don't have quite the same attacking talent in their backs as Eketahuna but they do have tradesmen in the form of first-five Nathan Sanson, midfielder Lamnce Stevenson and fullback Jono Hurley.The onus on them will be to do the basics well and to ensure that their defence is tight enough to stop the likes of McKenzie, Tamani and Simanu cutting loose.
Hurley, especially, could have a big say in the end result. He has already racked 155 points for his club this season and his goal kicking prowess could play an important end in what seems certain to be a close contest.
Who then to win? Well, Eketahuna certainly have experience on their side, don't they? They are aiming for their fourth successive premier division title so for the Bush boys it's very much a case of been there, done that.
For Carterton on the other hand it's been a long time between drinks ? 16 years in fact ? and that alone should be a huge motivating force for them.If they can handle the pressure of the occasion ? and they do have enough experience in their side to suggest that shouldn't be a problem ? then they are in with a decent shot.
For me then it's a case of Eketahuna deserving to start favourites, but Carterton being a definite winning chance. And if that's seen as sitting on the fence, so be it.