Wairarapa-Bush plan expansive execution

Wairarapa-Bush is intent on playing an expansive style of rugby in their non-championship match with Poverty Bay at Gisborne on Saturday.
Coach Graeme Cheetham sees the mobility of the forwards and the scoring potential of the outside backs as Wairarapa-Bush's main attributes so consequently he believes they will profit most from an attacking approach.
"We want to play to our strengths and that means moving the ball wide as often as we can," Cheetham said. "We don't want to make it a forward slog."
Cheetham agrees that while no championship points will be at stake a positive outcome in Gisborne is crucial for a Wairarapa-Bush squad yet to chalk up a win this season.
It will be the first time they have come up another Heartland championship side and therefore the first opportunity to prove they can be competitive at that level.
"We've been battered around a bit by the big boys but this should be more to our liking, it's going to give us a really good gauge as to where we are at," he said.
Interestingly enough, Wairarapa-Bush and Poverty Bay were the two trophy winners in the Heartland competition last year, Wairarapa-Bush winning the premier section, the Meads Cup, and Poverty Bay the Lochore Cup, which is basically a bottom six series.
In their non-championship games so far this season Poverty Bay have had a mixed record, being thumped by Hawke's Bay 97-0, drawing 27-27 with a Bay of Plenty XV, beating East Coast 56-0 and then, just last week, losing to King Country, 32-0.
Whether ace lock Tomasi Kedarabuka will take any part in Saturday's match for Wairarapa-Bush won't be decided until closer to match time.
He has been battling a shoulder injury and while he has been named in the reserves Cheetham said he won't be risked unnecessarily.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the forward selection is the make-up of the loose forward trio with skipper Mike Spence moving to the blindside flank to allow Steve Olds to play at No.8.
On the openside flank is Josh Mackey, who would normally be expected to be at blindside or lock.
A new name in the front row is Willie Leota, a Wellington "import" who has played for Bush Sports in the Manawatu competition.
He has been brought in at prop as a replacement for Brett Rudman, who is sidelined through injury.
In the backs the experienced Simanu Simanu has been shifted from his usual spot of centre to fullback with Heemi Tupaea partnering Jon Guillard in midfield.
Manawatu "import" John Dodd gets a start at first-five and Hamish McKenzie has been preferred over Mike Hollis at halfback.
The full Wairarapa-Bush team is:- Simanu Simanu; Jordan Fox, Heemi Tupaea, Jon Guillard, Lance Stevenson; John Dodd; Hamish McKenzie; Steve Olds; Josh Mackey, Dan Griffin, Jared Bambry, Mike Spence (captain); Shane Temana, Joe Harwood, Willie Leota. Reserves: Mike Hollis, Tepanga Isaac, Lema Lauvi, Mosese Gutvukaca, Brendon Walker, Tomasi Kedarabuka, Solly Alsop.