Wai-Bush can beat Buller

HARD TO STOP: Wairarapa-Bush fullback Nick Olson looks to break out against North Otago. PHOTO/CHRIS KILFORD

WAIRARAPA-Bush are capable of beating last year's Meads Cup finalists Buller in their Heartland championship rugby match at Westport tomorrow.

But for that to happen they will need to tweak at least four crucial areas of their game that let them down in their 16-18 loss to North Otago last weekend.

Allowing their opposition to take down their lineout ball without being challenged gave the North Otago forwards the opportunity to get early momentum into the drives they initiated so often from that set piece. Reputedly Buller have a rugged pack that would obviously relish the same leniency and, therefore, Wairarapa-Bush need to be more competitive.

It's the same in the mauls. North Otago also used this facet of the forward game as a launching pad for many of their attacks and their cause was too often helped by the fact some of the Wairarapa-Bush forwards were standing out among their backs rather than doing the hard grind up front.

The character and resolve shown in their goal-line defence was a feature of the Wairarapa-Bush performance last weekend, but they were guilty of missing too many first-up tackles further up the field.

And it was equally frustrating to see so-called tactical kicks often going to hand rather than land, another fault that enabled North Otago to mount attacks without the hassles of early pressure.

The good thing about all of this is that each of the problems can be easily rectified and you can safely wager that coaches Josh Syms and Wayne Roache will have spent some time at this week's training sessions ensuring the appropriate measures are put into place to ensure they don't occur again.

The North Otago game did have its share of positives for Wairarapa-Bush too.

The stoic goal-line defence was clearly at the top of the list, but there was a lot to like about the liveliness of their pack in broken-play situations.

Hooker Andrew Makalio lived up to his reputation as a devastating runner with ball in hand and there would be many backs in Heartland championship teams who would dearly love to have his sidestep, swerve and speed off the mark. Lock James Goodger was another who generally took full advantage of any opportunity to demonstrate his pace in open spaces and young flanker Chris Raymond also operated at a great rate of knots, on attack and defence. Still in his late teens, he looks and plays like former All Black Brett Harvey, who was such a stalwart for Wairarapa-Bush. High praise indeed.

The only change in the Wairarapa-Bush pack for tomorrow's game from that which initially took the field against North Otago comes at lock where James Wall, who played for Wellington's ITM side last season, replaces Lachie McFadzean at lock. Wall will provide greater bulk in the tighter exchanges but he has had little serious rugby of late and one assumes McFadzean will still get his share of playing time as well.

There is also just the one change in the backs, Paul Tikomainavalu coming on to the wing in place of Cameron Hayton. Several of the backs did have question marks over them after the North Otago game, especially in terms of their defence, and they will need to lift their efforts in Westport if they are to retain their places.

Wairarapa-Bush: Nick Olson; Paul Tikomainavalu, Viliama Hala, Andy Humberstone, Tipene Haira; Tim Priest; Cody Whittaker; So'otala Fa'aso'o; Chris Raymond, James Goodger, James Wall, Brendon Campbell; Matt Kawana, Andrew Makalio, Kurt Simmonds. Reserves: Inia Katia, Cameron Hayton, Kody Thompson, Jacko Hull, Lachie McFadzean, Johnie McFadzean, Rima Marurai.