Club skill level disappoints

Wairarapa-Bush rugby selector-coach Peter Russell is disappointed at the lack of basic skills being shown in senior first division club matches.
He believes too many players are trying to emulate what they see in the Super 12 competition to the detriment of their own games.
"There is a lot of fancy stuff in Super 12 but our club players need to concentrate on doing the basics well before they even entertain the idea of copying that sort of thing," Russell said. "Rugby is a relatively simple game and it's best they keep it that way."
Turnovers have been a regular feature of club matches this season and Russell says they are often due to two main factors, lack of protection for the ball and lack of support for the ball carrier.
"From what I have seen too much possession is being frittered away simply because players are not guarding the ball carefully enough," he said. "It's all about working as a team and we don't seem to be seeing a lot of that in some games."
Russell would also like to see club sides prepared to go more than just one or two phases before moving the ball wide.
"It's always easier on the backs if they get the ball going forward," he said. "Establishing the right platform for that to happen might take four or five phases, or even more. Patience is the key there."
Russell plans to name his first official representative squad for the 2005 season early next month and despite the deficiencies in club play he is still confident of coming up with a competitive unit.
"Individually, we are not too badly off at all," he said. "There are some interesting new faces around and most of those who played last season seem in pretty good shape too."
Russell does concede, however, that quality middle rowers are in desperately short supply ,even to the point of quipping that growth hormones may have to be introduced on the local market to help overcome the problem.
"We just don't seem to have any real size in our locks and that's got to be a concern," he said, adding that a recruitment campaign was under way both in New Zealand and overseas to try and rectify the situation. "There are one or two prospects but nothing concrete yet," he said.
Meanwhile, defending champions Eketahuna and Carterton have taken an early lead in the Wairarapa-Bush senior first division competition. They are both sitting on 15 points, followed by Martinborough 12, East Coast and Gladstone 11, Pioneer 10, Greytown-Tuhirangi 9, Marist and Masterton Red Star 6 and Puketoi 1.
Positions are, however, likely to change somewhat after the two series of matches to be played over Anzac weekend.
For instance both Eketahuna and Carterton will play each other on the Monday and won't have easy assignments on the Saturday either, Eketahuna playing East Coast and Carterton up against Greytoiwn-Tuhirangi.
Pioneer , Marist and Gladstone though will all be fancying their chances of moving up the competition ladder. Pioneer takes on Puketoi and East Coast , Marist will face Masterton Red Star and Puketoi and Gladstone takes on Martinborough and Masterton Red Star.