Visitors provide early Heartland test

A big question mark still hovers over Wairarapa-Bush as they prepare for their Heartland rugby championship opener against South Canterbury at Memorial Park, Masterton, tomorrow.

Yes, the four successive wins in warm-up games, including two massive defeats of fellow Heartland teams Poverty Bay and South Canterbury, have the growing horde of fans champing at the bit for the "serious business" to commence.

But you don't need to be a rocket scientist to realise it is a whole new ball game when championship points are at stake and the challenge now is for Wairarapa-Bush to prove they can continue to cut the mustard under the extra pressures of the championship.

South Canterbury should provide the perfect gauge as to whether hopes of Wairarapa-Bush qualifying for the Meads Cup playoffs in 2012 have any real substance.

The southerners have always been something of a bogey team for Wairarapa-Bush in Heartland competition and they come to Masterton boasting good wins over Nelson Bays and North Otago in warm-up games, opposition you would have to think would be stronger than that provided Wairarapa-Bush by either Poverty Bay or Horowhenua-Kapiti.

You get the feeling, too, that the persistent rain which has fallen over the Masterton district this week won't be worrying the South Canterbury camp either.

Memorial Park has got a well earned reputation for quick drying but the underfoot conditions will be soft at best and that will probably play into the hands of the visitors whose forwards are said to be a rugged lot with good ball-winning capabilities in all departments. Keeping the ball close to them was always likely to be a part of their game plan anyway.

There is, however, fair cause to conclude that no matter what the South Canterbury forwards throw at them, their Wairarapa-Bush counterparts will be equal to the task.

Their intensity and physical endeavour was a highlight of both the Poverty Bay and Horowhenua-Kapiti games and the prospect of tomorrow's game largely becoming an arm wrestle between the two packs would probably be welcomed by the home team as well.

Particularly important for Wairarapa-Bush will be the capacity of their tight five to at least break even in the set pieces of lineout and scrum because that would provide the ideal platform for their outstanding loose trio of Johan Van Vliet, James Goodger and Jim Temoci to utilise their considerable ball running skills. All three are potential match winners if they are allowed the luxury of roaming far and wide.

Another very encouraging aspect of the Wairarapa-Bush performance in lead-up games has been the tactical nous and overall sharpness shown by their backs and it will be interesting to see whether they can continue that trend under circumstances where the opposition will be more focused on restricting their time and space.

The decision of head coach Mark Rutene and assistant Paddy Gough to start with Matt O'Connor at halfback and Byron Karaitiana at first-five is an interesting one and the onus will be on them to call the shots from the outset. One suspects the accuracy of their kicking game especially, will be vital, especially if the ground conditions do dictate that keeping the forwards on the front foot becomes a prime objective.

It will be crucial too the defensive structure of Wairarapa-Bush is up to scratch. Against Horowhenua-Kapiti last weekend they went through a period where so many first tackles were missed you could have been forgiven for thinking they were playing touch rugby and South Canterbury will be quick to capitalise if that happens again. Odds released by the TAB this week for the Heartland championship Meads Cup title had Wairarapa-Bush and South Canterbury both sitting on the fifth line of favouritism at $15, something which suggests tomorrow's game will be a closely contested affair. I don't think anybody will disagree with that.

* Early kick offIntending patrons are reminded the Heartland championship rugby match between Wairarapa-Bush and South Canterbury at Memorial Park, Masterton, tomorrow will kick off at the earlier-than-usual time of 1pm. It will be followed at 2.30pm by a match featuring Wairarapa-Bush B and Linton Army.