Pressure on for rep spots

Several players will be under the microscope when Wairarapa-Bush meet Wanganui in a non-championship rugby match at the Rugby Institute in Palmerston North tomorrow night.
Selector-coach Peter Russell has named 24 players for the game and he intends to give all of them ample game time to launch claims for a place in the Wairarapa-Bush NPC third division squad, which he will announce over the weekend.
Russell makes no secret of the fact that form tomorrow night will play a big part in his final deliberations.
"We still have a number of positions where we would lean one way or the other and this is the last chance for players to put their hands up and say pick me," Russell said.
"So it's important the team plays well to give everyone a chance of making the cut."
Russell expects Wanganui, which is coming off a week-long camp, to be a very competitive unit and he considers Wairarapa-Bush's best chance of beating them will revolve around keeping their tactics relatively simple.
"If we start getting too smart things will fall apart?.we have to stick to the basics and and if we do them well we should get the result we want," he said. "It's easy to get flashy in games like this and we don't want to fall into that trap."
In the forwards it will be the workrate of the tighties, especially the front rowers, which will attract the most interest.
There is some real competition for places at prop and hooker with a likely contender for the former, young South African Ashley Wells, who has joined up with Carterton, not even in the squad for tomorrow night's game.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that Wells, who made a favourable impression on former All Black Ritchie Loe during a stint at the Mexted Rugby Academy in Wellington, will be denied NPC action.
The onus is now fairly and squarely on the likes of Brendan Walker, Dylan Higgison and Logan Ili to keep him out and tomorrow night's game is their chance to do exactly that.
Not only do they have to scrummage well they also have to measure up in a lifting capacity in lineout time and demonstrate they have the fitness to cope with a useful workload in broken play situations too.
"Fitness is a key with the tighties," Russell said. "There are one or two question mark there and it's time to answer them."
For Marist utility forward Corey Reid tomorrow's game is an opportunity to seal the third locking berth. He might not have the bulk usually associated with that position but has the height and spring to make a more-than-useful proposition in the lineouts, plus the speed of a player who adapted well to the flanker's berth whenever played there.
In Daimon Neal, Sam Henderson, Sylvanus Iro and Rob Dick Wairarapa-Bush will be well served in the loose forward area tomorrow night but those players can take nothing for granted either.
Skipper Mike Robinson is sure to rejoin the team for their NPC campaign after being allowed time off for the Wellington club rugby semi-finals this coming weekend so somebody is going to fall by the wayside, aren't they?
In the backs it will be the efforts of new caps or relative new caps Charlie Bargh at halfback, Tommy Harmon in midfield., Marika Kau on the wing and Bart Viguurs at fullback which will be carefully scrutinised
Probably no one more so than Kau, the top try scorer in Wellington club rugby who will be making his debut for Wairarapa-Bush and will be keen to show he has the goods to play alongside fellow Fijians, wing Jori Tamani and lock Tomasi Kedarbuka, on a regular basis.
The full Wairarapa-Bush squad for tomorrow night is: Bart Viguurs, Marika Kau, Esava Teko, Jorji Tamani, Simanu Simanu, Tommy Harmon, Nathan Couch, Patrick Rimene, James Bruce, Charlie Bargh, Daimon Neal, Sylvanus Iro, Rob Dick, Sam Henderson, Corey Reid, Dan Filihiahekava, Tomasi Kedarabuka, Logan Ili Joe Harwood, Ritchie McDonald, Rob Foreman, Brendan Walker, Dylan Higgison..
Tomorrow night's match will kick off at 6.30pm.
Meanwhile, the Wairarapa-Bush B team will play Wairarapa-Bush under-20 at Memorial Park on Saturday with the curtain-raiser being a North v South President's grade game.
The draw for Saturday is:
Representative: Wairarapa-Bush B v Wairarapa-Bush under-20, Memorial Park No.1 at 2.30pm (A.Stringer; M Brown and T.Roseingrave); Presidents North v South, Memorial Park at 1pm (T.Roseingrave; M.Brown and D.Hands
College under-15: Wairarapa v Freyberg High, Wairarapa College at 10am (D.Taylor); Rathkeale v Manawatu, Rathkeale at 10m (J.Kendal).
College open grade: Makoura v Rathkeale, Makoura at 10am (B.King); Chanel v Wairarapa fourths, Chanel at 10am (B.Whale); Kuranui v Wairarapa thirds, Kuranui at 10am (N.Burt).
College junior: Chanel v Rathkeale A, Chanel at 10am (G.Perry); Wairarapa Gold v Rathkeale B, Wairarapa College 4 at 9am (F.Barnes); Makoura v Wairarapa Blue, Makoura at 10am (R.Tatton); Kuranui v Wairarapa Black, Kuranui at 10am (D.Hands).