Wairarapa-Bush will be confronting a confident West Coast when they open their 2009 Heartland championship rugby campaign in Greymouth tomorrow.
Reaching the semi-finals of the premier section, the Meads Cup, last year was a huge fillip for West Coast and a recent narrow win over neighbours Marlborough would have done nothing to curb their enthusiasm.
The situation for Wairarapa-Bush, of course, is somewhat different.
They not only failed to make the Meads Cup play-offs last season but only just managed to keep themselves off the bottom of the B section, the Lochore Cup.
On that basis then there can be no argument over West Coast starting as firm favourites tomorrow.
That said, however, the steady improvement made by Wairarapa-Bush through their non-championship games over the past few weeks suggests an upset victory to them is by no means an impossibility.
Particularly pleasing with an eye to this Greymouth clash has been the growing intensity of the forward effort as, typically, West Coast will be backing their pack to dominate the battle for possession through sheer physical presence.
Unfortunately for Wairarapa-Bush they will be without the most consistent of their forwards in flanker Joss Tua-Davidson who has been ruled ineligible by the NZRU to play for them in Heartland games as a "local player", ostensibly because his Bush Sports club played in the Manawatu.
That decision has been appealed by the WBRFU but the success, or otherwise, of that appeal probably won't be known until next week.
Much as Wairarapa-Bush will miss Tua-Davidson's powerful running with ball in hand and equally tenacious defence they are fortunate in having an able replacement in Corey Reid, who filled in at lock in the 26-21 win over Horowhenua-Kapiti last weekend and impressed with the assertiveness of his play. He will certainly boost their lineout strength, an area where Tomasi Kedrabuka and Andrew McLean can also be expected to shine.
Kedrabuka missed last Saturday's game for family reasons and he will be wanting a big game tomorrow as his form through most of this season to date has been mixed, to say the least.
The solidness of their scrum against Horowhenua-Kapiti also bodes well for Wairarapa-Bush and the addition of "origin player" Ben Pereira at hooker tomorrow should actually enhance their effort there.
Pereira is currently the third-ranked hooker in Otago and apart from his scrummaging skills is a menacing runner in broken play. He will square off with one of the West Coast line-up, Tasman Mako B skipper Rowan O'Gorman.
Interestingly enough, Tua-Davidson's hassles could also have caused an abrupt end to another of their front rowers, prop Jared Brock, playing for Wairarapa-Bush.
He too was part of the Bush Sports club side before making a late transfer to Puketoi.
And, what's more, they do count out lock Brandon Young, who looked set to become a first choice middle rower before succumbing to injury.
For the Wairarapa-Bush backs tomorrow's game will be all about building on the good impression they made for their attacking qualities in the Horowhenua-Kapiti encounter with more clinical finishing the primary objective.
New centre Siaosi Anamani certainly gives added spark with his speed and determination and the same can be said about wing Junior Togia. On the other wing will be Heemi Tupaea who has been given the nod over Tommy Harmon. The latter could consider himself a little unlucky after his strong game against Horowhenua-Kapiti but his versatility could prove very useful off the bench.
In first-five Byron Karaitiana Wairarapa-Bush does, of course, have a potential match winner through his goal kicking and hefty punting but he didn't have his usual assurance in general play last weekend and will be keen to rectify that situation here.
On the subject of first-fives West Coast have been splendidly served by Corey Simpson in that role for a number of seasons but this astute tactician is now overseas and has been replaced by Cantabrian Jason Merrett, who played his club rugby for Christchurch, as does All Black skipper Richie McCaw on the few occasions his busy programme allows. Another from the Christchurch club in the West Coast side is winger Jared Cropper.
THE STARTING LINE-UPS FOR TOMORROW ARE:-
Wairarapa-Bush: Nick Olson; Junior Togia, Siaosi Anamani, Sam Mitchell, Heemi Tupaea; Byron Karaitiana; Nick Risdon; Duncan Law; Jared Hawkins, Tomasi Kedrabuka, Andrew McLean, Corey Reid; Kurt Simmonds, Ben Pereira, Jared Brock.
West Coast: Robert Thomson; Luke Hughes, Damien Blackburn, Josh Cornish, Jared Cropper; Jason Merrett; James Ferguson; Tere Wycliff; Joshua Hill, Peter Nicholls, Chris Mason, Mitchell Sincock (captain); Gordon Iafeta, Rowan O'Gorman, Sam Durie.
Meanwhile, the Wairarapa-Bush under-20s will play Wellington under-19 at Memorial Park tomorrow and next weekend they will meet NZ Marist Colts in the curtain-raiser to the Heartland championship match between defending champions Wanganui and Wairarapa-Bush, also at Memorial Park. The sole Wairarapa-Bush player in the Marist side is hard-running midfielder Daniel Blong.
