Good kick off to season for Wairarapa-Bush

The slogan adopted by Wairarapa-Bush officials to promote their team's top-of-the-table Heartland championship rugby match with Wanganui at Memorial Park, Masterton, on Saturday says it all.

"Join The Push Behind The Bush" shows their keenness to have a veritable army of fans turn out to support their side in what will be their toughest assignment to date in a 2012 campaign, which has seen them win seven of their eight games, including all three championship fixtures.

And the union is also taking the opportunity to host employers and partners of players in the representative squads as a means of thanking them for their contribution to the team cause.

Wanganui have long been regarded as the benchmark team in the Heartland series and even a cursory glance at their record shows why.

Remarkably, they have made every final in the premier section, the Meads Cup, since 2006 when they fell at the last hurdle, losing to none other than Wairarapa-Bush 16-14.

In 2007 too, Wanganui were close but no cigar, losing the big one to North Otago 25-8, while in 2008 and 2009 the title decider featured them and Mid-Canterbury and Wanganui prevailed both times, 27-12 in 2008 and 34-13 in 2009.

Two years ago, North Otago held the Meads Cup aloft after accounting for Wanganui 39-18 but Wanganui were back in the driver's seat again last season, taking the spoils with a 30-10 defeat of East Coast.

What these results show too is that while Wairarapa-Bush deserve all the plaudits they have received for making such a strong start to their 2012 Heartland programme, their biggest challenges lie ahead. Included in their next three matches after the Wanganui fixture are games against Mid-Canterbury and North Otago.

The composition of the Wairarapa-Bush starting line-up for Saturday's encounter had still to be finalised at the time these notes were penned, with question marks revolving around the fitness of loose forwards James Goodger and Johnnie McFadzean.

Goodger missed the 12-8 win over West Coast last weekend because of rib cartilage problems and could be sidelined for at least another couple of games, while McFadzean twisted a knee in that match and is on the doubtful list as well.

The good news for Wairarapa-Bush is that if Goodger and McFadzean are ruled out, they have Sam Marshall-Wilson and Mike Harmon waiting in the wings.

They have been starring for the Wairarapa-Bush Bs in recent weeks and were probably the two main contenders for player of the match awards in their game with Horowhenua-Kapiti B last Saturday when Marshall-Wilson was at No 8 and Harmon on the openside flank.