Fitness test for Wairarapa-Bush trio

Wairarapa-Bush won't settle on their starting line-up for their Heartland championship rugby Meads Cup semifinal match with Wanganui at Cooks Garden, Wanganui, on Saturday until after tonight's training session.

Head coach Mark Rutene and his assistant Paddy Gough are keen to assess the fitness of three of their players, wing Cameron Hayton, utility back Byron Karaitiana and flanker James Goodger.

Hayton did not take the field against Horowhenua-Kapiti last weekend because of a leg injury and he is clearly the least likely of the three to play in Wanganui. If he does not front then Inia Katia will again play on the wing and Martinborough's Cody Whittaker will be promoted to the reserve bench from the Wairarapa-Bush B squad.

Whittaker is a very similar player to Katia in that while he plays mostly at halfback, he also has the pace and flair to perform well in the outside backs.

Karaitiana was also rested against Horowhenua-Kapiti to allow a shoulder injury more recovery time and the odds are in favour of him being back to full fitness for the Wanganui match, as they are with Goodger who suffered a knock to the leg while providing a player-of-the-match performance in the Meads Cup semi at Levin. He was still sore at training on Tuesday but clearly on the improve.

Rutene and Gough have not been afraid to make changes to their starting line-up from game to game in this season's Heartland campaign but it would not surprise to see them stick with exactly the same 15 as they had in Levin.

If Hayton is fit, however, there would be a huge temptation to start him on the wing because of the superb form he has shown there all season. And in that case Katia would become a serious challenger to Matt O'Connor for the No 9 jersey.

In the forwards, it is Tom Fleming who will be the subject of most debate. He started at lock in Levin and then moved to No 8 and was a willing workhorse in both roles, especially in the second half when he was often used as a battering ram as his team successfully strove to deny Horowhenua-Kapiti possession for long periods.

The probability is that Fleming will start alongside Andrew McLean in the middle row with Jim Temo wearing the No 8 jersey. Rutene and Gough will also have to choose between two in-form hookers in Richard Puddy and Jamie Hunt. Puddy started at Levin with Hunt coming off the bench.