Marshall-Wilson is familiar with the middle row, having played there often at club level.
Butcher could, however, be restored to the starting XV if Pereira was unable to play, which would see Marshall-Wilson back in the No6 jersey and McFadzean swapped to the openside flank.
In the front row, Jonathon Fuimaono comes in for Campbell Lawrence at prop and Richard Puddy for Jamie Hunt at hooker. Fuimaono made an impact with his storming runs when he came off the bench against East Coast, enough to be a leading contender for any player of the day award. Puddy is probably the most accurate lineout thrower in the squad and management will be hoping his inclusion solves some of the problems they had last weekend when some throws went astray.
The decision to start with Inia Katia at halfback instead of Zeb Aporo, or maybe Joseph Sio, willraise a few eyebrows, because his liveliness makes him the ideal substitute if the Wairarapa-Bush effort needs a lift. Two or three times this season Katia has come from the reserves and added oomph to the team effort.
The other change in the backscomes on the wing where Paul Tikomainavalu, a reserve against East Coast because of a troublesome ankle, takes Nathan Hunt's place.
Wairarapa-Bush might already be guaranteed a semifinals spot in the premier section, the Meads Cup, but tomorrow's game is vital because they still require at least two competition points to ensure their semi will be at Masterton's Memorial Park. Also in the back of their minds will be the knowledge that a big win could see them finish the preliminary rounds as top seed and therefore earn a home final later.
Mid-Canterbury and Wairarapa-Bush are at the top ofthe table with 28 points and if they are still tied after tomorrow the seedings will be decided on points differential. The situation now is that Mid-Canterbury have a differential of 83 points and Wairarapa-Bush 67.
That means if both sides win, Wairarapa-Bush would need to beat Thames Valley by 17 points more than Mid-Canterbury beat Buller if a home final is to be a possibility.
That scenario would change dramatically if Wairarapa-Bush won and Mid-Canterbury lost, and that's certainly possible because Buller are at home and have the incentive of knowing that victory could leapfrog them into the Meads Cup semis.
Worth noting too - and confusing the situation even more - is that North Otago are hovering on 25 points on the competition ladder and if they pick up the expected five points against Horowhenua-Kapiti could wind up top qualifiers if Mid-Canterbury and Wairarapa-Bush lose their games.
For Wairarapa-Bush head coach Mark Rutene, however, tomorrow is not about possible equations but rather the need for his side to produce 80 minutes of committed rugby. That was something they did not do in the game against East Coast, in which they trailed 21-3 after just 15 minutes.
"I know we did well to come back and win but you have to look at why we put ourselves in that position and it was pretty much poor defence and poor option-taking," Rutene said. "We can't afford that to happen again."
Thames Valley aren't without incentive either. They are lying ninth on the points table and anything less than a win will probably not be enough to see them make the semis of the second-tier Lochore Cup. History shows they are generally a difficult side to beat at home, particularly if the weather turns sour and the Paeroa ground turns into a mudbath. Their forwards are invariably a rugged lot who relish those conditions.
