Rep coach keen to have squad battle-hardened

Wairarapa-Bush rugby selector-coach Peter Russell is not exactly a fan of the two bye format in vogue in the premier division inter-club competition this season.
It was created when Featherston was a late withdrawal from the top league, and the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's council of clubs decided that rather than completely redo the original draw, which contained 11 teams and therefore a bye, the team scheduled to play Featherston would also be given a bye.
That despite the fact that with 10 teams now involved in the competition, the bye could have been eliminated altogether.
Russell is concerned that having two teams with the bye each weekend means that players in contention for representative honours are not receiving the benefits of continuous match play.
"It's important going into a rep season that players are what you would call game fit and, quite frankly, having two byes each Saturday on the club scene doesn't help in that respect," he said.
"It's actually good for us if players are getting the knocks and bruises that come with regular rugby so their bodies are well attuned to it by the time the NPC kicks in."
Russell intends to name his first official training squad for the 2006 season at the end of next week, and they will then prepare for the annual Jimmy Cotter Memorial Trophy match against Wellington at Memorial Park on Tuesday, May 23.
Two players from last season's squad who were expected to be unavailable for selection because they had moved to Taranaki, could now be amongst those named for that game.
Wingers Esava Teko and Marika Kau are back in the Wellington area and while they are still to make a decision on where they will play their club rugby there is a good chance they could join up with Wairarapa-Bush clubs.
But even if that is not the case they could still represent the union with the rules which originally outlawed "imports" in second division play having been relaxed. However, Russell himself is keen for them to be part of the local club scene and is "very hopeful" that will happen.
Having Teko and Kau on deck would certainly be a boost for Wairarapa-Bush as there has been a noticeable lack of depth in the wing position in recent weeks.
Russell has not yet made a commitment as to who will skipper Wairarapa-Bush in the 2006 season but says there are "five or six" serious contenders to take over from incumbent Mike Robinson, who is no longer available for representative selection.
Russell said the captaincy was not only about the ability to lead on the field of play but also to set a good example off the field as well.
"Basically we are looking for someone who will have the respect of his players and the public, someone who has mana," Russell said.
The choosing of Joe Harwood as captain of the Wairarapa-Bush under-23 side which played the Japan Universities under-23s a couple of weeks back could be a clue that the Carterton front rower is amongst the favourites for the captaincy role.
Harwood was an outstanding skipper for the Wairarapa College first XV in his schoolboy days, and his early season form both for the under-23s and Carterton has been so impressive that a place in the Wairarapa-Bush starting line-up is basically guaranteed, either at prop or hooker.
The success Steve Olds has had as captain of Eketahuna on the club scene will boost his prospects, although against him could be the fact there are a number of talented loose forwards in the Wairarapa-Bush region and just making the starting XV could be a battle for him.
In fact, two other loosies are captaincy hopes as well?? Sam Henderson, who is doing such a good job leading Gladstone on the club scene and Mike Spence, the former Manawatu rep who also plays for Gladstone and who has captained the New Zealand secondary schools side.
And if Russell decides he wants a back to call the shots then an obvious contender has to be experienced first-five Patrick Rimene, who has been a regular in the Wairarapa-Bush squad for some seasons now and who has often led his Marist club side.