New way for Wairarapa-Bush - winning

Wairarapa-Bush have made a flying start to their 2012 rugby season.

Two wins from as many matches in the Heartland championship has them sharing the early competition lead with North Otago while in seven appearances overall they have lost just the one, and that came in their first hit-out against a New Zealand Universities team preparing for a "test" with their Japan counterparts.

Universities won 30-25 with Wairarapa-Bush being disallowed a try in the last seconds which would have earned them a well-deserved draw, and even a win had the conversion been successful.

Since that defeat Wairarapa-Bush have beaten Horowhenua-Kapiti at the Cake Tin 29-18, International Rugby Academy of New Zealand in Palmerston North, 20-7, Poverty Bay in the Jeremy David Memorial Trophy match at Masterton 46-14, Horowhenua-Kapiti in a second friendly at Masterton 51-17, South Canterbury in the first of the Heartland championship games at Masterton 32-21 and then on Saturday Poverty Bay at Gisborne in the second of their Heartland matches by a convincing 48-21.

For a union which could only boast one victory in their entire Heartland campaign last season to have already posted six successive wins is a remarkable turnaround and a tribute to the head coach Mark Rutene and his assistant Paddy Gough.

At the same time, however, they are well aware that come the end of the 2012 season they will be judged on whether Wairarapa-Bush can sustain the momentum and make it to the Meads Cup semifinals on October 20.

For that to happen they must finish in the top four on the Heartland championship table at the completion of their eight preliminary round fixtures, a tough ask but one looking increasingly achievable.

This weekend sees them confront West Coast at Greymouth and then come Wanganui in Masterton; Mid-Canterbury in Masterton; King Country in Taupo; North Otago in Masterton; and Horowhenua-Kapiti in Levin.

If exposed form this season means anything, wins can be anticipated against Mid-Canterbury and Horowhenua-Kapiti but the remaining games will be difficult assignments.

West Coast, for instance, beat King Country 27-21 last weekend, only seven days after King Country had come within a whisker of defeating the powerful North Otago squad.

Of all the encouraging signs for Wairarapa-Bush this season their ability to turn try-scoring opportunities into points has been the main talking point.

In the seven matches they have played this year Wairarapa-Bush have run in 30 tries and 20 of them have been scored by the backs, a mark of the sharp improvement made in the attacking play of those wearing the bigger numbers on their jerseys.

Three players, halfback Inia Katia, utility back Nick Olson and outstanding flanker Johan Van Vliet, have run in five tries apiece with wingers Cameron Hayton and Nathan Hunt both having touched down on three occasions.

Crucial, too, has been the excellent goal-kicking of Glen Walters, the former Kuranaui College star who now plays his club rugby in Wellington.

He has had the goal-kicking duties in the past four matches and has already racked up 70 points, 40 of them in the two Heartland games.