Semi-final spots still up for grabs

There is plenty at stake in each of the three matches to be played in the Wairarapa-Bush senior first division rugby championship tomorrow.
A series of upset results last weekend left all six teams still in with a chance of making it through to the semi-finals but with just two rounds of qualifying matches still to be played, those who lose tomorrow could find themselves very much on the back foot in that respect.
For Greytown/Tuhirangi and Pioneer, anything less than a win will very probably see them out of semi-final contention and, remarkably, Gladstone, which dominated the Chris Kapene Memorial Trophy preliminary round section, are close to being in the same boat.
Greytown-Tuhirangi are unlikely to try anything fancy against Marist in the feature match at Memorial Park.
It was their forwards who laid the foundations for their surprise win over Gladstone last Saturday and one suspects the onus will be on them to be a dominating factor here as well.
The combined side have an experienced front row in the form of Dylan Higgison, Carl Petersen and Brett Rudman and they will be targeting the scrum as a possible weakness in the Marist armour.
Not only that, they will also be looking to help their side batter their opposition into submission in the rucks and mauls as well.
Talented halfback Mike Hollis will be a key figure in the Greytown-Tuhirangi scheme of things for he and his fellow inside backs will have the job of ensuring the ball is kept close to their forwards in a productive manner.
Marist, for their part, are sure to have the words of coach Sid Tatana ringing in their ears when they take the field for this particular game.
Despite being out-passioned by Pioneer last Saturday they would still have won the match had they not consistently stuffed up prime scoring chances through wild passing and Tatana is sure to have stressed the importance of adhering to the basics on this occasion.
The return of their two main playmakers, Joe Nuku and Nathan Couch, will obviously be a huge boost to Marist.
Nuku is a powerful No.8 who invariably gets himself over the advantage line when taking the ball up while Couch's powers of deception have long made him one of the most dangerous attackers in the local region.
Just where Tatana will play Couch tomorrow is a matter of interest.
He is, of course, best-known as a second-five but he had a huge game when tried at first- five a few weeks back and against a Greytown/Tuhirangi side which may have a weakness on defence around the fringes of the rucks and mauls he could be good value one place closer to the action.
And doing that would also allow Marist the luxury of playing Patrick Rimene at fullback, a position he was so adept in until moved to first-five by a Wairarapa-Bush regime desperate to find someone who could fill that crucial role adequately at representative level.
The news this week that both Couch and Rimene are still keen to play for their union this season, providing fitness allows, is heartening indeed for the chances of another successful Heartland campaign would be immeasurably enhanced by their inclusion.
Another Marist player whose club form guarantees he will be in the Heartland squad is utility forward Corey Reid.
He is not only one of the better lineout forwards in the area but he has developed a real knack of being in the right place at the right time when tries are in the offing.
In summary then, the greater scoring potential Marist have will almost certainly see them win this one if they can achieve at least a reasonable share of quality ball up front. It's a big "if" though, big enough to hedge all bets for sure.
Which Pioneer turns up will decide just how close they go to beating Carterton in their match at Carterton.
If it's the Pioneer which was thumped by Gladstone a couple of weeks back they won't have a chance but if it's the Pioneer which played with sustained grit and determination to upset Marist last Saturday then victory would very definitely be within their compass.
Even a cursory glance at the make-up of the two packs suggests their strengths lie in very different areas.
Carterton would seem to have the edge in the tight five where the likes of Joe Harwood, Mosese Sela and Tomasi Kedarabuka lead the way while Pioneer are sure to be well served by Nathan Rolls and Boof Carberry in the loose.
Rolls, of course, has been a regular high flier at club level for some seasons now but Carberry came to the fore in the win over Marist where his ruggedness and constructiveness on attack and defence made him a standout player.
Indeed he was so effective the Wairarapa-Bush selectors could find it worthwhile to follow his progress closely from now on.
Any advantage Carterton have in the tight five should, you would think, mean a greater share of possession and they just might need that to nullify a Pioneer rearguard which, on paper at least, appears to have the edge in inventiveness, especially in midfield where Jamie Smallman and Stu Waipuka can be a lethal combination.
Smallman gave the Carterton defence plenty go think about the last time the two teams met and the home side will be desperate to keep him under wraps on this occasion.
This too then is another match where the "ifs" are so vital that a win to either side would be no surprise.
The third senior first division game sees Eketahuna at home to Gladstone and no one in their right mind would bet big money on the outcome here either.
Interestingly enough both teams are coming off upset losses the Saturday before, Eketahuna to Carterton and Gladstone to Greytown/Tuhirangi, and they will be desperate to get their title aspirations back on track.
Had this column been written say, a month ago, Gladstone would have firm favourites because they had an aura of invincibility about them then while Eketahuna had more than their share of injury hassles and were consequently struggling to get their act together.
But times have changed with Gladstone battling to get any consistency into their efforts and Eketahuna welcoming back two players with the skills to change the course of a game, Simanu Simanu and Hamish McKenzie.
It's not only the return of that duo which will add to the difficulty of Gladstone's task tomorrow though, they also have to cope with playing in front of an always loyal and vocal Eketahuna army of supporters.
And you'd have to think a wet surface would suit Eketahuna too as their forwards, as a collective group, would probably struggle to match their Gladstone counterparts for mobility on a firm track.
This does not mean though that Gladstone can't overcome those odds. In players like James Bruce, George Williams, Mike Shaw and Matt Easton they have plenty of backs with match winning potential and just how much influence they have on proceedings could be the deciding factor in the end result.
Senior seconds
Martinborough and Masterton Red Star have stolen a march on their rivals in the senior second division championship and with the format there having the two top teams after the two qualifying rounds going straight through to the final, East Coast and Puketoi would need to start making up lost ground from tomorrow onwards.
As it happens the draw has East Coast and Puketoi squaring off at Whareama and if recent form counts for anything the Coasters would have to be installed as favourites. Same with Martinborough against Masterton Red Star at Colombo road although Stars have made such dramatic improvement lately there are clearly no certainties about hat one.
In the senior third division series six of the nine teams still have a good chance of making the semis and if past history means anything bonus points could be all important as to who makes it and who doesn't it. Remarkably, 35 bonus points have been earned in this grade so far with East Coast topping the list with seven, one more than Greytown/Tuhirangi and Pioneer. Then comes competition leader Masterton Red Star with four.
Cup promotion
A piece of Memorial Park is heading to France for the World Cup. It's all part of a promotion organised through Adidas which will see a piece of turf from every pitch in New Zealand that has ever been played on by a single All Black in our rugby history being "gifted" to the AB's. By filling in an entry form published in the Times-Age one lucky reader can be part of the local "dig", which will apparently have Marty Berry as the AB's official representative .It all takes place next Thursday, time to be confirmed.