Red Star not taking Marist lightly

Masterton Red Star will be wary of Marist leading into their Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby match at Memorial Park, Masterton tomorrow.
Considering Masterton Red Star sit second on the competition table with 40pts and Marist are eighth on 21pts the odds about a comfortable Masterton Red Star win would be short but nothing is ever that simple when clashes between the two Masterton-based clubs are being assessed.
Generally the underdog lifts their game to the point where a close contest ensues and it would be no surprise if that happens again on this occasion.
Marist's confidence should also have been boosted by their strong showing against "top dogs" East Coast last weekend. They relished the free-flowing style of rugby played there and it will obviously be in their interests if something similar occurs here. That they came away without even a bonus point to show for their efforts against the Coasters was an injustice, to say the least.
Masterton Red Star, on the other hand, go into tomorrow's game on the back of a surprise defeat by Greytown and knowing that a second successive loss could suddenly make what had seemed a rather easy path to the semi-finals somewhat more rocky.
Their tactical approach will be interesting. Will they be prepared to take Marist at the running game and rely on their own backs to call the tune or will they be more conservative and trust their forwards to lay the foundations for victory? Either way you get the feeling there will be some nervous moments in store for Masterton Red Star before any advantage on the scoreboard is achieved.
Puketoi will be cock-'o-hoop after breaking their "duck" against Carterton last weekend and they will be keen to show that was no fluke when they take on Pioneer at the Park Sportsground. Here too the form book suggests it should be one-way traffic with Pioneer third on the competition ladder and Puketoi a lonely last but again appearances could prove deceiving.
Puketoi have some cunning old hands in their forwards and they won't need telling that if they can retain the ball for long periods they will frustrate a Pioneer side which thrives on broken play situations.
Eketahuna host East Coast in a match which should again see the latter in a winning light but which should also provide some torrid exchanges up front. Eketahuna will like their chances of breaking even in the forward exchanges but the pace and flair of the East Coast backs will probably have the final say.
Martinborough, fourth on the competition ladder with 30pts, and Greytown, who are sixth with 27pts, meet at Greytown in what will be a whale of a game. Both sides are very adept at upsetting the rhythm of their opponents with hustle and bustle and, what's more, they give the impression of being evenly matched at both back and forward. Goal kicking isn't always one of their great strengths though so don't be surprised if whoever does best there comes away with the chocolates.
Carterton's shock loss to Puketoi last Saturday has seen them drop back to fifth on the points table and both they and tomorrow's opponent, Gladstone, who are seventh, are currently in a position where every defeat puts a huge dent in their semi-final aspirations. Quite honestly, this is another match where the comparative strengths of the two teams makes it too close to call so here too goal kicking could become the vital ingredient in the end result.
The senior reserves competition is hotting up with Martinborough at the top of the points table with 36, followed by Pioneer and Masterton Red Star 34, Carterton 31, Tuhirangi 22, Greytown and Eketahuna 14, Marist and East Coast 10 and Featherston and Gladstone, both 6. The feature clash tomorrow will be that at the Park Sportsground between Pioneer and Carterton and it will be controlled by Far North Coast (NSW) referee Gervase Bertuss who is here on an exchange visit.