Rimene comfortable playing at fullback

Patrick Rimene isn't too fazed at the prospect of playing fullback for Wairarapa-Bush in their non-championship rugby match with Poverty Bay at Memorial Park, Masterton on Saturday.
Rimene had a rest from representative duties last season but most of his appearances for his province in the previous five seasons were at first-five, the position which he has regularly filled for Marist on the club scene as well, including the senior first division grand final against East Coast just last weekend.
In his early days for both Wairarapa-Bush and Marist, however, Rimene was more often at fullback than anywhere else and he played there on two occasions for the New Zealand divisional team when they toured Argentina at the end of the 2006 season. Rimene concedes going back to fullback will mean relearning the requirements of the position to some extent but he was quick to quip that a player of his experience shouldn't have too many hassles in that respect.
"I guess it's all about playing where they (the coaches) want you to play, you just have to get out there and give it your best shot," Rimene said.
It is debatable, however, as to whether too much should be read into Rimene starting off at fullback against Poverty Bay as far as Wairarapa-Bush's forthcoming Heartland campaign is concerned.
Coach Kelvin Tantrum says Saturday's game is very much a case of "look and learn" for him and assistant coach Mike Robinson with the big losses suffered at the hands of a Wellington XV and a Hawkes Bay XV in previous "friendlies" providing them with little opportunity to judge the merits of individual players on the representative stage.
"When you spend 80 or 90 per cent of a game on defence you learn something about their abilities in that area but that's about all," he said.
Rimene's skills at first-five have, of course, been well documented so it's hardly surprising that Tantrum and Robinson have chosen to make new cap, Gladstone's Dean Grant, first cab off the rank there this weekend.
Even then, however, it may be only for 40 minutes as Tantrum suggested that the two players could actually switch roles after the halftime break, saying him and Robinson were also keen to judge Grant's capabilities in the fullback position.
With Wellington "import" Junior Togia not available for Saturday's game which incidentally starts at the earlier time of 1.30pm because his Tawa club are part of finals day in the capital and East Coast's Nick Olson nursing a hand injury the other three outside back berths become more clear cut. Carterton duo Charlie Walker-Blair and Lance Stevenson will be on the wings with talented Gladstone youngster Jordan Watene at centre. And at second-five and halfback respectively will be a couple of old hands in Nathan Couch and James Bruce.
The Wairarapa-Bush pack is very much as anticipated although the second Wellington "import" in the squad in James Measor might have got a start at lock had his transfer papers been signed and sealed. His non-availability means Puketoi's Jared Bambry will share the middle row with Tomasi Kedrabuka.
The full Wairarapa-Bush squad for Saturday is:
Patrick Rimene; Lance Stevenson, Jordan Watene, Nathan Couch, Charlie Walker-Blair; Dean Grant; James Bruce; Mike Spence; Nathan Rolls, Tomasi Kedrabuka, Jared Bambry, Jared Hawkins; Dylan Higgison, Joe Harwood (captain), Brett Rudman. Reserves: Richard Puddy, Kurt Simmonds, Mike Wilson, Mike Hollis, Mike Shaw, two to be added.
Saturday's match was to be part of a three-day camp for the Wairarapa-Bush squad with most of the activities being held at Castlepoint but the camp has now been postponed until the following weekend when it will include the last of the non-championship games against Wellington B.
Meanwhile, Wairarapa-Bush B coach Stacey Grant has named a squad to attend a training session at Memorial Park tonight, starting at 6.15pm. It is:-
Forwards: Chris Starling, Bevan Morland, Ben Aldworth, Kyle Karaitina, Darren Walker, Lee Paku, Andrew McLean, Tim Flemming, Joe Feast, Evan Small, Joe Nuku, Steve Wilkinson, Sully Alsop, Ben Couch, Johnny Avatea, Brett Aitken.
Backs: Daryl Pollock, Fraser King, Joe Hull, Jason Liverton, Te Maika Mason, John Guillard, Byron Karaitiana, Tavita Isaac, Simon Phinney, Ryan Hardman, Richard Tosswill, Eli Telford, Angus Chrisp, Andrew McKay.