Wairarapa-Bush selection still wide open

Nothing is certain about the composition of the Wairarapa-Bush rugby squad for their 2012 Heartland championship programme.

That's the word from head coach Mark Rutene who says he and assistant Paddy Gough are intent on giving several players not involved in the 29-18 win over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, on Saturday the opportunity to press claims for selection.

"The door is still open and will be for a while yet, "Rutene said. "Right now there are no guarantees, none at all."

While pleased with the overall result of Saturday's match, Rutene admits it was not an 80-minute performance, something evidenced by the fact Wairarapa-Bush led 26-3 at halftime and were outscored 15-3 in the second spell.

"I guess you could say it was the classic game of two halves. We scored three good first half tries and had things pretty much under control, but then they lifted their effort and we struggled to get ball," he said. "I know we made quite a few changes after halftime but so did they. So we can hardly blame that, can we?"

Highlights of the first half display by Wairarapa-Bush, apart from the tries, were the aggressiveness of their counter rucking, the stability of their scrum and lineout, the robustness of their loosies on attack and defence, and the ability of their backs to create space on the outsides.

The second spell, however, was a somewhat different story, with Horowhenua-Kapiti retaining possession for long periods, unsettling Wairarapa-Bush at scrum time and taking advantage of some poor option-taking by the Wairarapa-Bush inside backs.

Front rowers Wilba Davies, Kurt Simmonds and Jamie Hunt, loosies Johan Van Vliet and James Goodger, midfield backs Tapaga Isaac and Jesse McGilvary and wing Nathan Hunt were Wairarapa-Bush players who enhanced their reputations. But there were several others who still have good cause to be worried about those breathing down their necks.

Wairarapa-Bush have three more "friendlies" to play before the Heartland championship begins, the first against Murray Mexted's International Rugby Academy in Palmerston North on July 18, then others against Poverty Bay and Horowhenua-Kapiti.