Caution from coaches as semis loom

Carterton and Masterton Red Star might be the top seeds for the Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby semifinals on Saturday but their coaches aren't taking anything for granted.
Neither Mark Rutene (Carterton) nor Cory Karaitiana (Masterton Red Star) was prepared to make firm predictions yesterday, with both adamant that close, tense games were in prospect.
The form book says Carterton should run out comfortable winners over East Coast in their fixture at Carterton as at the end of the two preliminary rounds of competition play they topped the table with 71 points. East Coast, on the other hand, lay fourth on 58 points and, what's more, they lost to Carterton both times, the first by 26-0 and the second by 20-8.
Rutene recalls, however, that in that second match in particular there was very little in it, with East Coast competing strongly up front and often testing the Carterton defence with their innovative back play.
''They [East Coast] have been improving nicely all the way along and they'll come out firing this weekend. Nothing is surer than that,'' Rutene said. Reflecting on Carterton's record of 13 wins and two losses (in their opening two games), Rutene is pleased with their progress.
''We did take a while to hit our straps but, once we got the combinations settled, things started to fall into place. At least we've kept heading in the right direction,'' he said. ''But it's back to square one now, one bad game and you are a goner. So the pressure is every bit as much on us as it is on anyone else.''.
With forwards such as Joe Harwood, Dylan Higgison, Tomasi Kedrabuka, John McFadzean and Mike Wakefield in their line-up, Carterton seem likely to try to dominate up front but Rutene has enough respect for the ruggedness of the East Coast pack to suggest they won't mind physical confrontation.
''We have to do more than just rely on the forwards to do the business. Fall into that trap and we could be trouble,'' he said. ''Everyone talks about the danger of the East Coast backs but they are a pretty complete team really.''
Defending champions Masterton Red Star take on Eketahuna in their semi at Memorial Park, just seven days after they beat them 15-3 in a match that decided which of the two would have home advantage this weekend. And their earlier clash this season also resulted in a Masterton Red Star victory, by 24-18 on that occasion.
Masterton Red Star coach Cory Karaitiana remembers both those games as being hotly contested affairs, with Eketahuna having the edge in the forwards but struggling to make headway against the desperate defence of his side.
''We've worked hard on our defence all season and both times against Eketahuna it has paid big dividends,'' Karaitiana said. ''But we know we can't keep depending on that to achieve success. We have to keep the points ticking over as well.''
Karaitiana expects Eketahuna to again mount a furious assault on Masterton Red Star up front and, while he wasn't about to give any secrets away, he said he and co-coach Ivan Karaitiana had devised tactics to help their team meet that challenge in a positive way.
''We are well aware of how strong they are in the forwards and how important it is for us to match them there,'' he said. ''Do that and our chances improve, we know that too.''
The start time of the Masterton Red Star versus Eketahuna match has been put back to 3pm in case extra time is required to find a winner in the curtain-raiser, which is the premier division bottom four semifinal between Marist and Greytown.