Defining moment awaits

HOLDING ON: Chris Raymond on the burst for Wairarapa-Bush against North Otago-but injury may keep him out of the South Canterbury match.

IT COULD be a defining moment for both teams when Wairarapa-Bush and South Canterbury do battle in a Heartland championship rugby match at Memorial Park, Masterton, on Saturday.

The game will signal the half-way point of the preliminary rounds, at the end of which the top four teams will head into the semifinals for the premier trophy, the Meads Cup, and teams placed five to eight on the competition table will do likewise for the second-tier Lochore Cup.

For the remaining four sides, it will be season over, a fate that befell Wairarapa-Bush in 2014.

While it is still too early to say the result of the Memorial Park clash will definitely decide the fate of Wairarapa-Bush and South Canterbury as far as their Meads Cup aspirations are concerned, there is no doubt that whoever comes out on top will have done themselves a big favour in that regard.

Right now, they sit in equal-third place on the points table, but, while the winner is likely to maintain at least that position, the tightness of the competition suggests the loser could well find themselves mid-table.

And that would probably leave them needing as many as three wins from their last four preliminary round games to make the Meads Cup semis.

In Wairarapa-Bush's case not having pacesetters and defending champions Mid-Canterbury as one of their opponents would be a plus, but they would still have three "toughies" in West Coast, Horowhenua-Kapiti and Wanganui to come along with East Coast, which has yet to win a game.

Even though that game is scheduled for Ruatoria, a Wairarapa-Bush victory there should almost be in the "given" category.

The stoicness of their defence has been the feature of the Wairarapa-Bush performance so far this season and is illustrated by a points table that shows the 40 points they have conceded is 15 fewer than any other side.

However, the 66 points they have scored themselves has been bettered by seven teams including South Canterbury, whose 114 has them third behind Poverty Bay (123) and Horowhenua-Kapiti (116).

South Canterbury has been involved in three high-scoring encounters. They opened their Heartland campaign with a 34-17 loss to Mid-Canterbury and then beat East Coast 57-5 and West Coast 40-24.

There are three notable "imports" in the South Canterbury squad, and all are from the Christchurch club ... No8 Kieran Coll, halfback Nick Annear and first-five Jason Merrett. Annear, in particular, has a strong pedigree, having played for New Zealand Schools and New Zealand Universities as well as the Southland Stags.

Merrett is the first string goal-kicker, but could be a doubtful starter for Saturday's match after retiring from the West Coast game with a calf injury.

Wairarapa-Bush also has injury hassles with prop Kurt Simmonds and flanker Chris Raymond being forced from the field in the 14-13 win over Buller last weekend.

Their 22-man squad will probably be confirmed tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Supporters Club will officially open the refurbishments they have made to their "Gravel Pit" headquarters at Memorial Park at 1pm on Saturday.

Sir Brian Lochore will do the honours.

Club president Roddy McKenzie said much of the work was done on a voluntary basis with Tod Brooks leading the charge and support from Wairarapa Scrap Metals was a huge assist as well.

The club now has a membership of 150, making it among the biggest of its kind in the country.