Rimene to skip for Cotter game

Marist first-five Patrick Rimene will captain Wairarapa-Bush in their Jimmy Cotter Memorial Trophy rugby match against a Wellington XV at Memorial Park, Masterton on Tuesday.
Rimene is one of the most experienced campaigners in the Wairarapa-Bush side, but whether he will lead the team into their NPC first division programme later in the season is still to be decided.
Selector-coach Peter Russell said that post would probably not be confirmed until the last of the non-championship games, with others perhaps being given a chance to show their leadership skills before that.
Among them are likely toe be Gladstone loosie Sam Henderson, who has been named as vice-captain for the Wellington game, and Carterton front rower Joe Harwood, who impressed as skipper of the Wairarapa-Bush under-23s when they played Japan Universities.
The actual starting line-up for Tuesday's game won't be finalised until after club matches on Saturday, but the indications are that Rimene will be part of a backline which will have Duncan Rutherford at fullback, Joji Tamani and Marika Kau on the wings, Simanu Simanu and Glen Bunny in midfield and Hamish McKenzie at halfback.
The only player in that group who didn't play for Wairarapa-Bush at senior A level last season is Rutherford. He is a utility back also capable of making an impact in midfield.
Reserve backs are halfback Mike Hollis and three utility players, Lawrence Matthews, Tommy Harmon and Eli Telford. The latter, who now plays for Greytown-Tuhirangi, has repped for New Zealand Army and New Zealand Combined Services at rugby and for Manawatu in rugby league.
The Wairarapa-Bush pack would have to be one of the most formidable fielded in years-at least on paper- with impressive South African youngster Albertus Buckle joining Joe Harwood and Dylan Higgison in the front row, Fijian international Langi Peters teaming up with his countryman Tomasi Kedarabuka at lock, and former Manawatu rep Mike Spence making up the loose forward trio with Sylvanus Iro and Sam Henderson.
Reserve forwards are front rowers Ross Batty and Brent Rudman, lock Corey Reid and loosies Steve Olds and Andrew Campion, the latter another Fijian who has made a favourable impression for Carterton.
The Wellington XV contains very few players who have repped for that province at above senior B level, a situation which Russell admits has irked some of his own players.
"There is a feeling that Wellington hasn't paid us enough respect, but then again they have plenty of depth and they will still be tough to bowl," he said. "It has helped fire the boys up a bit though so that's a plus, isn't it?"
CLUB GAMES
Greytown-Tuhirangi ? or at least the Greytown part of the combined side ? will be trying to do something they haven't managed for seven years when they play Carterton in a Wairarapa-Bush premier division inter-club match at Carterton tomorrow, lift the Grant Trophy from the home side,
With both teams well in the running for a finals berth later in the season and Carterton having the extra incentive of their old timer's day this should be a cracker of a game between what should be two evenly-matched sides.
Greytown-Tuhirangi have excellent role models in Dylan Higgison , Norm Henricksen and Sylvanus Iro in the important phases of forward play-scrum, lineout and loose- but then so do Carterton with the likes of Bertus Buckle, Joe Harwood Tomasi Kedarabuka and Andrew Campion..
On that basis you'd expect the battle for forward dominance to come out about all square which means that whichever backline makes best use of the possession coming their way will probably be celebrating at the game's end.
If the astute Mark Childs is calling the shots at first-five outside the talented Mike Hollis at halfback for Greytown-Tuhirangi then you would have to fancy them having the edge in a tactical sense but if comes down to sheer attacking skills then Glen Bunny and Lance Stevenson will ensure Carterton are well served.
All in all it should be an intriguing match with neither team deserving to start favourite.
Defending champions Eketahuna have yet to taste defeat this season so the record book, at least, says they should beat Pioneer in their encounter at the Park Sportsground.
Pioneer, however, have been progressing well enough themselves to rate themselves a winning chance although their forwards will need to lift their workrate to match an Eketahuna pack which was so impressive against Gladstone in their last appearance.
If, as expected, Eketahuna dominate possession then backs like Hamish Mckenzie and Simanu Simanu should ensure they keep their noses in front on the scoreboard as well.
The Robin Elers Memorial Cup will be at stake when Marist and Masterton Red Star do battle at Memorial Park-yes, the game does start at the same time as the Pioneer v Eketahuna game down the road ? with Marist likely to call the tune. They will need to be wary of Stars though as they showed plenty of grit in their loss to Gladstone last Saturday and will have taken confidence out of that performance.
Martinborough was in a similar situation to Masterton Red Star last weekend, showing any amount of determination against Marist despite losing, and they should chalk up a win when they meet Puketoi at Martinborough.