Tantrum Changes to line up possible

It was a really good test of the ability of the forwards to stand up to pressure and they coped well, that part was very encouraging.Kelvin Tantrum,
Wairarapa-Bush rugby coach Wairarapa-Bush rugby coach Kelvin Tantrum won't be "mucking around" when it comes to making changes to his starting line-up during Heartland championship matches this season.
Tantrum was delighted with the impact made by players coming off the bench in his side's hard-fought 23-16 win over Buller in Westport on Saturday and already sees their influence as being one of Wairarapa-Bush's greatest attributes in 2011.
"It's so reassuring when you know you can go to the bench and know the team effort will be enhanced and we have that sort of depth this season," Tantrum said. "It means we won't be mucking around. If we think changes could benefit the side, we'll be making them, no matter how long we have been going."
Wairarapa-Bush went into the Westport match needing a sharply improved performance from that which saw them suffer a hefty defeat by Wellington Samoans in the last of their warm-up games and Tantrum was pleased with the level of improvement shown.
"No one could say it was perfect, far from it, but it was certainly a decent step up and something to build on," he said. "They (Buller) are a pretty handy side and they made us work, it was every bit as hard as we thought it would be."
The typically rugged approach of the Buller pack meant Wairarapa-Bush were thoroughly tested in the tighter aspects of the forward game and Tantrum was "pretty happy" with the efficiency of their scrum and lineout and their own physicality in the mauls and general play.
"It was a really good test of the ability of the forwards to stand up to pressure and they coped well, that part was very encouraging."
Tantrum was pleased too with the manner in which Wairarapa-Bush stuck to their game plan, something they had failed to do against the Samoans.
"We weren't trying to be too flashy, it was mostly about keeping mistakes to a minimum and playing the game in opposition territory," he said. "They ( Buller) were pretty much the same, they kept things simple too."
Wellington loan player Jeremy Te Huia at first-five had a huge role to play in the implementation of the Wairarapa-Bush game plan and he came through with flying colours, choosing his options astutely and generally finding space with his tactical kicks. And, of course, the 18 points he scored with his six penalty goals was a huge factor in the end result.
Satisfying as the Wairarapa-Bush effort was against Buller Tantrum said there was still the possibility of changes being made to his starting line-up for the Mid-Canterbury fixture.
"We'll see how everybody has pulled up at training tomorrow night and go from there," he said. "Right now there are no specific changes in mind but it could happen depending on what type of rugby we will be looking to play."
Prop Dylan Higgison was the only player to come out of the Westport game with a slight injury niggle. Tantrum was optimistic of a quick recovery. He will also have Wellington loan player Mana Fairamo available for selection after the bulky loose forward was ruled out of the Buller trip because of an infected cut to the face. He is certain to be in the 22-man squad but is probably more likely to come off the bench than be in the starting XV.
Mid-Canterbury, last year's runners-up in the Meads Cup section, kicked off their 2011 Heartland campaign with a narrow loss to Poverty Bay and Tantrum expects that defeat to have them firing on all cylinders in Masterton.