Early starts in premier games for test-goers

Four of the five premier division rugby matches in Wairarapa-Bush on Saturday will start one hour earlier than the norm to allow players, officials and supporters extra time to travel to Wellington to watch the All Blacks and France do battle in their second test.
The one exception is the fixture between Martinborough and Puketoi at Martinborough which is scheduled to kick off in the usual slot of 2.30pm.
That will be a key game for Martinborough who will desperately be seeking the maximum five points four for a win and one for scoring four or more tries to boost their semi-final aspirations.
They sit fourth on the competition table with 34pts while Puketoi are last with 9pts. However, they will be on a confident frame of mind after having won two of their last three games and they will be backing their forwards, in particular, to give their Martinborough counterparts plenty to think about now the wintry weather has arrived.
Feature premier division game on Saturday, however, will be the top-of-the-table clash between defending champions East Coast (52pts) and Masterton Red Star (49pts).
They have both won 11 of their 13 matches but East Coast have picked up an extra three bonus and there is no contest on the for-and-against tables, the Coasters having run up 382pts for and 162pts against and the Rams 294pts for and 161pts against.
On those stats you'd have to plump for an East Coast win but their first-round encounter saw Masterton Red Star score by a relatively comfortable 15-3 in a game in which all the scoring was from penalty goals.
Semi-final spots are practically already guaranteed for both sides but they still have plenty to play for as the first-seeded team going into the semis plays the fourth seeds there with the second seeds taking on the third seeds.
Pioneer are third on the competition ladder with 37pts and the form book says they should crush Eketahuna (16pts) at Eketahuna but will they only have to remember what happened in their first-round match to stop any chance of complacency.
Eketahuna came to the Park Sportsground then and hammered Pioneer by 31-5 and playing them on their home track should make them an even bigger hurdle for Pioneer to overcome.
Gladstone (31pts) and Greytown (29pts) will have their semi-final hopes very much in mind when they play at Gladstone. Greytown got home 30-20 in their first-round fixture but you could argue Gladstone has made the most improvement since then and therefore should start favourite on this occasion. Look for a close go between Carterton (28pts) and Marist (26pts) at Carterton. Here too both teams will still be eyeing the semi-finals as a realistic target and they will know a loss here will make it mighty difficult for them to make up lost ground over the next month or so.
Their first-round match was a cliff-hanger, won by Carterton 18-17. The senior reserves competition has now been divided into an A section comprising six teams and B section with four and all games there will start at 12 noon this weekend.
Saturday's draw is:
Premier division: Eketahuna v Pioneer, Eketahuna at 1.30pm (T. Roseingrave); Masterton Red Star v East Coast, Memorial Park at 1.30pm (G. Hall; T. Lyford and home team); Gladstone v Greytown, Gladstone at 1.30pm (G. Reisima; T. Kiel and home team); Carterton v Marist, Carterton at 1.30pm (C. Jefferies; J. Devine and T. Penny); Martinborough v Puketoi, Martinborough at 2.30pm (A. Stringer).
Senior reserves A section: Eketahuna v Pioneer, Eketahuna at noon (home club); Masterton Red Star v Tuhirangi, Memorial Park at noon (D. Goodin); Carterton v Martinborough, Carterton at noon (G. Moorcock).
B section: Marist v East Coast, Memorial Park No 2 at noon (A. Payne); Gladstone v Greytown, Gladstone at noon (home club); Featherston a bye.
Colts: Eketahuna v Kia Toa, Eketahuna at 1pm ( S. O'Gorman).
Secondary schools Open grade: Wairarapa Coll Yellow v Kuranui first XV, Wairarapa Col No 2 at 11.15am (J. Devine); Makoura first XV v Wai College Blue, Makoura No 1 at 11.15am (E. Wallace); Chanel first XV v Rathkeale second XV, Chanel No 1 at 11.15am (T. Lyford).
Junior: Makoura v Chanel, Makoura at 10am (B. Whale); Rathkeale Red v Wairarapa Coll Yellow, Rathkeale No 2 at 10am (T. Penny); Kuranui Blue v Rathkeale Green, Kuranui at 10am (T. Kiel); Kuranui Purple v Rathkeale White, Kuranui No 2 at 10am (K. Lochhead); Wai College Blue a bye.