A record five Wairarapa players have been included in the Heartland Wairarapa starting line-up for their national youth league match with Canterbury United at Memorial Park, Masterton, tomorrow, and a sixth is in the reserves.
Coach Phil Keinzley has plumped for locals Josh McMenamin and Thomas Hemi to play up front while Wairarapa College's Kurtis Paine, Liam Hare and Arnon Tapp will be alongside experienced Upper Hutt campaigner Pedro Garcia in midfield.
Wellington-based players James Craughwell, Hamish McLachlan, Stephen Thomas and Josh Ebert will make up the back four with another Wellington player, Sam Martin, in goal. Among those on the bench will be Wairarapa's Mark Hemi.
Keinzley says having more Wairarapa players in the starting line-up than in the two previous league games against Wellington (lost 0-4) and Nelson-Marlborough (lost 2-3) was not a preconceived move; it was a case of selecting players who were in form and best suited to the tactical approach.
"Obviously you go with the team you think can win the game, that's all there is to it," Keinzley said. "Where they live doesn't come into it ... no way."