Rep hopes on fringe get chance to impress

The result will be of secondary importance when Wairarapa-Bush and an International Rugby Academy New Zealand XV do battle in a rugby "friendly" at the Institute of Sport in Palmerston North tomorrow afternoon.

For Wairarapa-Bush head coach Mark Rutene and his assistant Paddy Gough, the focus will be mainly on assessing the form of the many players who are on the fringes of selection for their 2012 Heartland championship squad.

And for the IRANZ management team, it will be a case of judging the progress made by a group of talented youngsters who have been receiving expert tuition in the fundamentals of the game.

Interestingly, one of those youngsters will be Wairarapa-Bush's Johan Van Vliet, the hugely promising Eketahuna flanker whose Heartland spot is practically guaranteed.

He won't get everything his own way in the battle for the loose ball, however, as his Eketahuna clubmate Rupeni Tamani and Marist's James Goodger have the speed and assertiveness to match him.

Three of the 24 players originally named as part of the Wairarapa-Bush squad won't be fronting up in Palmerston North.

No8 Taylor Mokate, from the Old Boys University club in Wellington, has been contracted to play for the United States sevens team and won't be available for any of the Heartland games either, East Coast halfback Matt O'Connor is on the injured list and hooker Jake Tipene, from Bush Sports, is still deciding whether he can commit to the representative scene.

Mokate's place has been taken by another OBU player, Tom Fleming, who can play at No8 or lock, while Inia Katia (Gladstone) and Cody Whittaker (Martinborough) will share the halfback berth and the experienced Richard Puddy (Gladstone) will come in for Tipene.

Fleming will be one of four Wellington-based "imports" on show, joining prop Jon Fuimaono (OBU), midfield back Titapu Pairama-Lewington (OBU) and fullback Glen Walters (Hutt Old Boys Marist).

Tomorrow's match is programmed to kick off at 4pm.