Sides meet in top-of-the-table clash

Carterton and Marist will meet in a top-of-the-table clash at Memorial Park when matches in the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's PGG Wrightson premier division competition continue on Saturday.
After a sluggish start to the season which saw them lose their first two matches, Carterton have now strung 11 wins together to be sitting on 49points, four ahead of Marist, who have won 10 of their 13 games.
Also well placed to secure semifinal spots are Eketahuna and Masterton Red Star, both have accumulated 44pts, still close enough to enter semifinal calculations, as well as East Coast (39pts) and Martinborough (31pts).
For the four remaining premier division sides, however, the chances of making it to the top four by the end of two complete round of matches in just five weeks time look rather slim. Gladstone head them with 31pts while Greytown have 19pts, Puketoi 14pts and Pioneer 1pt. They all still have something to play for though, as the teams ranked from five to eight will make up the premier two semifinalists, meaning two of them will miss the boat in that respect.
Pioneer might be the current cellar-dwellers in the premier division, but their senior reserve side have taken a clear lead in their competition. They have won all 10 of their games and are on 49pts, followed by Tuhirangi 39, Carterton 37, Masterton Red Star 34, Eketahuna 38, Martinborough 25, Greytown 16, Marist 13, East Coast 12, Featherston 12 and Gladstone 11.
The draw for Saturday is:
Premier division: Marist v Carterton, Memorial Park at 2.30pm (C.Jefferies; T.Porter and V.Peterson); Eketahuna v Pioneer, Eketahuna at 2.30pm (S.Andrew; G.Moorcock and T.Lyford); Gladstone v Greytown, Gladstone at 2.30pm (S O'Gorman; A.Reid and P Weeks); East Coast v Masterton Red Star, Whareama at 2.30pm (A.Stringer; E.Wallace and K.Lochhead); Puketoi v Martinborough, Pongoroa at 2.30pm (A.Payne).
Senior reserves: Eketahuna v Pioneer, Eketahuna at 1pm (G.Moorcock); Martinborough v Carterton, Martinborough at 1pm (G.Hall); Tuhirangi v Masterton Red Star, Pirinoa at 1pm (M.Porter); Gladstone v Greytown, Gladstone at 1pm (A.Reid); Featherston v East Coast, Featherston at 1pm (G.Reisima); Marist a bye.
Colts: Eketahuna v IPC, Eketahuna at 1pm (T.Lyford).
Secondary schools
Premier: Kuranui firsts v Porirua seconds, Kuranui at 1pm (D.Goodin). Open: Wairarapa seconds v Chanel firsts, Wairarapa College at 11.15am (E.Wallace); Rathkeale seconds v Wairarapa thirds, Rathkeale College at 11.15am (B.Whale); Makoura firsts a bye.
Under-15 premier: Wairarapa v Dannevirke, Wairarapa College at 9.50am (P.Weeks). Junior: Chanel seconds v Makoura seconds, Chanel at 10am (T.Porter); Kuranui seconds v Rathkeale Green, Kuranui at 10am (A.Mortenson).