Champs ?back to square one

Eketahuna coach David Smith is taking nothing for granted, as his team prepares to take on East Coast in their opening Wairarapa-Bush senior first division interclub rugby match, under lights at Eketahuna tomorrow night.
The 2006 season will see Eketahuna shooting for their fourth successive first division title, after they walloped Gladstone 50-10 in last year's grand final.
But Smith, who was part of that winning side and is in his first season in the coaching role, says it is "back to square one" come tomorrow's encounter.
"I guess people will look at our record and see us as favourites, but it's far too early to go along with that," he said. "Hopefully we can give it a good shot, but we are no certainties that's for sure."
Eketahuna will be without at least two three regular members of last year's squad, hooker Rob Foreman and lock Tim Iro, who have both moved out of the area, and coach Smith himself, who has long been considered one of the best loose forwards in the region.
Foreman's replacement is Matthew Cox, and he will be joined in the pack by Wairarapa-Bush reps Steve Olds and Angus McMillan, spring -heeled lock Josh Mackey and under-rated loosies Luke Mahoney and Solly Alsop.
For captain Olds the 2006 season could be something special, as with incumbent Wairarapa-Bush skipper Mike Robinson now retired from the representative scene, Olds must be one of the leading candidates for that job.Some impressive form in the early season games could be enough to give him the nod.
Eketahuna has three of the province's best attacking backs in Wairarapa-Bush reps Simanu Simanu, Hamish McKenzie and Jorgi Tamani, and midfielder John Guillard is a proven performer on the club scene as well.
East Coast also has a new coach in Ross Wakeling, and their line-up will include a number of promising youngsters. In that category would be the loose forward trio of Leroy Aspinall, Joe Wyeth and Glen Henson, livewire halfback Luke McKenna and outside backs Damien Paku and Nic Olsen.
Perhaps the most talented of all their youngsters though, first-five Te Maika Mason, has had the misfortune to break a bone in a hand in a pre-season game, and will therefore be sidelined for some weeks.
Other East Coast players likely to make an impact are prop Mike Peacock, who has a penchant for scoring tries, and middle rowers Kenny Scott and Robert O'Neale.
Coach Wakeling understands the relative inexperience of his side could count against them, especially early on, but he is still optimistic of them giving a good account of themselves. "We won't be short of enthusiasm and that can mean a lot," he said.
Meanwhile,the loss of hard-running midfield back Nathan Couch is a blow to Masterton-based Marist, who also have a new man at the coaching helm in Buster Aporo.
However, evergreen Patrick Rimene will again be back to guide the fortunes of a backline which will also include experienced campaigners in Ben Couch and Phil Aporo, and promising wingers Keiran Gleeson and Adam Wichman.
There will be a couple of new faces in the Marist pack, loosies Joe Nuku and Roger Cayless, while here too there is plenty of experience in the form of Vern Boyce, Lee Paku, Matthew Rowlands, Rhys Severn and Geordie Walden.
Carterton, which will again be coached by Steve Hurley with assistance from Rex Playle, had lost something like 12 players from last season's squad ?including Wairarapa-Bush reps Logan Ili, Ritchie McDonald and Tommy Harmon-but Hurley is still hopeful of them being a competitive unit.
Two of the high-profile forwards in the NPC third division-winning Wairarapa-Bush team last season, lock Tomasi Kedarabuka and Joe Harwood are back on deck again, lively flanker Brodie Duffin has recovered from an achilles injury which saw him play just the three club games last season, Shane Namana is a quality lineout exponent and a newcomer in Albertus Buckle from South Africa adds bulk and power to the front row.
In the backs Carterton have two astute tacticians in Nathan Sanson and Glen Bunny, prolific try scoring winger Lance Stevenson and a likely-looking fullback from Wellington in Jeremy Pigou
The Wairarapa-Bush rugby draw for Saturday is:-
Senior first: Masterton Red Star v Greytown-Tuhirangi, Memorial Park No.1 at 2.30pm (D.Goodin; N Burt); Pukertoi v Carterton, Pongaroa at 2.30pm (T.Roseingrave); Gladstone v Pioneer, Gladstone at 2.30pm (A.Stringer); Featherston v Marist, Featherston at 1.30pm (G.Moorcock); Martinborough a bye..
Senior thirds: Masterton Red Star v Greytown-Tuhirangi, Memorial Park No.1 at 1pm (N.Burt); Gladstone v Pioneer, Gladstone at 1pm (G.Hall); Marist v Carterton., Memorial Park No.2 at 1pm (C.Jefferies).
Under-19: East Coast v Greytown-Tuhirangi, Whareama at 1pm (B.King).
First XV: Rathkeale v Central Hawkes Bay,Rathkeale at 1pm (D.Hands).
The Eketahuna v East Coast match at Eketahuna tomorrow night kicks off at 7.35pm and will be controlled by Graeme Reisima while the third grade game between Eketahuna and East coast will kick off at 6pm and Gary Hall will be the referee.