Favourites in early clash

Two of the early favourites for senior first division honours in Wairarapa-Bush club rugby this season, Pioneer and Carterton, will meet at the Park Sportsground in Masterton tomorrow.
Both teams kicked off their 2005 campaigns in impressive enough fashion last weekend, Pioneer having 12 points to spare from another of the stronger title contenders, Greytown-Tuhirangi, and Carterton notching up 38 points without reply against East Coast.
With underfoot conditions expected to be soft the struggle for supremacy up front could decide the outcome of this one.
There is no shortage of experience in the "engine room" in either side with Pioneer having a couple of shrewd operators in Anton Kainuku and Tereina Henare leading the charge there and Carterton likewise through Logan Ili, Richard McDonald and Shane Namana.
In the looser aspects of the forward game too it should be a battle royal with no player taking the eye more for Carterton last weekend than flanker Ben Herrick and fellow loosie Nathan Rolls getting through his usual heavy workload for Pioneer.
Key backs on display will be another two old heads in Ben Fox (Pioneer) and Neil Rodger (Carterton).
They will both very probably be at first-five and just who of them directs play the better, especially in terms of tactical kicking, is likely to have a big say in what happens on the scoreboard.
Also playing in Masterton, but at Memorial Park are Masterton Red Star and Puketoi.
It seems a shame that two first division games should be played at venues so close together, but at the same time and one hopes it is something the union's programming gurus will address as the season progresses.
For Stars and Puketoi tomorrow's encounter will be seen as a prime opportunity to get themselves away from the bottom of the points table after they both lost their first round games.
Puketoi kept Martinborough scoreless in the first half, but wilted in the second while Stars were outgunned by defending champions Eketahuna. However, it spoke volumes for their character that in a near 50-point beating they played their best rugby in the last quarter.
This too promises to be battle of the forwards with the strength of both sides lying there.
Gladstone would have taken enough from their draw with Marist last weekend to give themselves a better than outside chance of upsetting Eketahuna at Gladstone tomorrow.
Considering they were on the end of a hefty penalty count Gladstone's effort to share the spoils with Marist was brave and there was a lot to like about their tenacity, especially in the loose forward department where newcomer Damon Neal was here, there and everywhere and Sam Henderson was little behind him.
And, of course, the potency of their loose forwards will be enhanced even further when former Marlborough rep Robert Dick recovers from injury.
Eketahuna, by their own standards, were just so-so in their victory over Masterton Red Star with coach Graeme Cheetham quick to concede they wasted a number of scoring chances. It is interesting that two of their best performers were also loose forwards, flanker Solly Alsop and No8 Luke Mahoney and it will be even more interesting to see how they shape up against Neal and company.
Martinborough and East Coast will lock horns at Martinborough with the home team aiming to get their season off to a flying start by making it two from two. They are a mainly young side with as much natural flair as most teams in the first division series but whether they get too many opportunities to use that flair against an East Coast side who might prefer to play a more conservative style of rugby remains to be seen
Whatever, there should be precious little in this one.
Greytown-Tuhirangi, last year's beaten finalists, would not have too happy with their first-up effort against Pioneer and will be keen to produce something better when they take on Marist at Tuhirangi.
Providing everybody is on deck Greytown-Tuhirangi should have the edge in the forwards but they will need to have if they are to lessen the effect prolific-scoring Marist five-first Patrick Rimene has on proceedings He came up with all the points for Marist in their first round game with Gladstone and, not only that, he was their most penetrating runner on attack as well. Keep Rimene under wraps and Greytown-Tuhirangi will be doing themselves a huge favour.