Clash vital to play-off hopes

CHARGE: Paul Tikomainavalu comes off the reserve bench for Westport match. PHOTOS/FILE

ABATTLE royal is in prospect when Wairarapa-Bush confront West Coast in a Heartland championship rugby match at Greymouth tomorrow.

The Meads Cup aspirations of the two teams hang in the balance, with Wairarapa-Bush occupying sixth place on the points table with 10 and West Coast 10th with 6. With half of the eight preliminary round games already gone, defeat would virtually mean the end of their top four play-off hopes.

Taking a line through their results to date it is hard to imagine anything other than a close result tomorrow. Wairarapa-Bush went down to North Otago by two, West Coast by one. Against Buller, Wairarapa-Bush won by one and West Coast won by 14. Against South Canterbury, Wairarapa-Bush lost by nine and West Coast lost by 16. The odd match out for either team was Wairarapa-Bush walloping Thames Valley 36-9 and West Coast giving defending Meads Cup champions Mid Canterbury a whale of a game before losing 26-36.

There are five changes to the Wairarapa-Bush starting line-up from that which took the field against South Canterbury at Memorial Park last weekend. Four are in the forwards, Kurt Simmonds coming in at prop, James Wall and Lachie McFadzean at lock and Chris Raymond at openside flanker.

James Goodger, who was at lock, will be on the blindside flank. In the backs, Paul Tikomainavalu comes off the reserve bench to start on the wing. Retaining the No10 jersey is Tim Priest, who was a star member of last season's West Coast Heartland side.

Wairarapa-Bush's chances of success will hinge on how their forwards respond to what is sure to be a rugged West Coast pack.

The southerners invariably adopt a "take no prisoners" approach up front and nothing different should be anticipated on this occasion.

The return of Simmonds and Wall will give Wairarapa-Bush greater bulk in the tighter exchanges and perhaps enhance their effort in the vital set pieces of scrum and lineout.

Goodger's placement on the flank should boost their mobility in the loose. He was clearly the player of the match against South Canterbury and would only need to maintain that form to be a leading contender for a place in the national Heartland squad further down the track.

Wairarapa-Bush are taking just two reserve backs to Greymouth, Inia Katia and Cameron Hayton, both of whom have the versatility to play several positions.

Midfielders Andy Humberstone and Tipene Haira combined for the first time last weekend and obviously did well enough in the eyes of coaches Josh Syms and Wayne Roache to keep their spots. It would be a big help to the Wairarapa-Bush cause if they could unleash the attacking qualities of wingers Tikomainavalu and Nick Olson and fullback Viliami Hala on a regular basis.

Wairarapa-Bush: Viliami Hala; Nick Olson, Tipene Haira, Andy Humberstone, Paul Tikomainavalu; Tim Priest; Cody Whittaker; So'otala Fa'oso'o; Chris Raymond, Lachie McFadzean, James Wall, Chris Raymond; Kurt Simmonds, Andrew Makalio, Matt Kawana. Reserves: Kody Thompson, Jacko Hull, Johnie McFadzean, Brendon Campbell, Rima Marurai, Inia Katia, Cameron Hayton.