Harwood aims for repeat

Wairarapa-Bush captain Joe Harwood will "very definitely" be making his swansong on the representative scene when he leads his team into the grand final of the Lochore Cup Heartland rugby championship against Buller in Westport on Saturday.
But the Carterton hooker doesn't see that as providing any extra incentive for his side to produce an effort at least equal to that which provided their shock 21-17 win over King Country in Te Kuiti last weekend, simply because incentive enough will come from being able to end what has been a largely frustrating 2010 season on a high note.
So rather than focus on his own personal circumstances, Harwood is keen to concentrate on what their next 80 minutes of rugby will mean for the current Wairarapa-Bush squad.
"It's a huge game for us, absolutely huge," Harwood said. "It's given us one more opportunity to show we are capable of a lot better than what we have shown through most of the last 10 weeks or so, and there wouldn't be a player who isn't dead keen to make the most of it."
Ask Harwood to explain just why Wairarapa-Bush have struggled for consistency during a season where they have won just three of their Heartland matches and he readily concedes there is no easy answer.
"Honestly, it's something we would all like to know. It's not we haven't been trying or that the game plans have been the problem. Everything has been fine in those respects," he said. "We all believe we have the potential as a team to beat just about anyone in this competition so, yes, the results have been very disappointing, and more for the players than anyone else."
However, Harwood wasn't all together surprised when Wairarapa-Bush remarkably turned a 21-point loss against King Country the week before to a deserved four-point victory in the semifinal.
He was of the mind that, while the first of those games ended in a decent beating on the scoreboard, Wairarapa-Bush had been competitive enough in most areas to suggest an upset was on the cards if - and it was a big if - they produced anything like their best form in the semi.
And there was also the thought that where Wairarapa-Bush, as fourth qualifiers, had everything to gain and nothing to lose, top qualifiers King Country would have the weight of expectation on their shoulders, especially since they were playing in front of their home crowd.
"Obviously we accepted we were the outsiders, but we talked about how that could actually work in our favour," Harwood said. "Pressure can do strange things and King Country had a lot more to contend with than we did."
The Wairarapa-Bush captain was "thrilled to bits" with the manner in which his players responded to the call to stick rigidly to a game plan which revolved around playing the game in opposition territory.
"We wanted the forwards to do the hard graft up front and the backs to try nothing flash in our own half, and everybody bought into those tactics," he said. "It wasn't pretty rugby but it was effective, and that's what counts."
Going into the last five minutes of the match and with his side defending their narrow 21-17 advantage as if their lives depended on it, Harwood admits to "killing" a ball to stop a dangerous King Country attack. He was sent to the sin bin, leaving Wairarapa-Bush with just 14 men.
" It was one of those spur of the moment things," Harwood said. "Do you take the risk and possibly save a try or do nothing and possibly concede a try? I took the risk and I guess the referee did what he had to do."
With Harwood sidelined, King Country continued to throw everything bar the proverbial kitchen sink at the Wairarapa-Bush defence as they desperately sought the try which would have earned them a grand finals spot, but their efforts were in vain.
"I'd have to admit there were a few anxious moments but our defence was terrific, it got us there in the end," Harwood said.
The only time Wairarapa-Bush and Buller have met this season came in the very first round of the Heartland competition, with Wairarapa-Bush travelling to Westport and coming away with a hard-fought 23-16 win.
Harwood's main recollection from that game is the ruggedness of the Buller pack and the ability of their inside backs to keep them on the front foot. He is expecting them to adopt the same tactics in the Lochore Cup final.
"Frankly I can't see there being a lot in it. It could come down to who handles the pressure of a final best," he said. "For us it's certainly winnable and that's the only result we are interested in.".