Up front, big prop Jon Fuimaono, from the Old Boys University club in Wellington, comes into the front row alongside Bush Sports hooker Jamie Hunt and Wilba Davies, a situation that means two of the standouts against Poverty Bay, skipper Kurt Simmonds and Richard Puddy, will be on the reserves bench.
Fuimaono has a reputation of being a strong scrummager who likes to get the ball in his hands in broken play, while Hunt is a lively customer equally at home among the loosies. His "in your face" defensive approach was very effective when he entered the fray last weekend.
Combining in the middle row for the first time will be hard-working Carterton lock Lachie McFadzean and another of the newcomers from the Old Boys University club in Tom Fleming, a utility player also quite capable of slotting in at No8 or on the blindside flank. They have big boots to fill, replacing as they are the experienced Andrew McLean and Brandon Young, and it will be interesting to see whether they can replicate the ruggedness those two displayed against Poverty Bay, and also whether they can enhance the lineout effort.
In the loose, Wairarapa-Bush will again start with the outstanding Johan van Vliet in the No7 jersey and Jim Temoci at No8, while on the blindside flank will be Johnie McFadzean. He was typically all hustle and bustle when he came off the bench last weekend and will be keen to make every post a winner.
In terms of the Heartland games though, McFadzean's best chance of a start probably lies in the back row, as the in-form James Goodger surely has the blindside flanker role all parcelled up.
The Wairarapa-Bush backs were grand value against Poverty Bay with the option taking, slickness of the passing and penetration out wide leaving a hugely favourable impression.
Giving them a flying start then was the inside combination of Matt O'Connor and Glen Walters, and the pressure will be on Inia Katia at halfback and Byron Karaitiana at first five to provide the same spark.
Katia is an excitement machine with all the tricks in the book but the starting role does require a certain degree of orthodoxy and structure.
Karaitiana has been there, done that on the representative stage before but the question mark with him revolves around his sharpness, which has been affected by the injuries that have dogged him over the past season or two.
The retention of Michael Te Whare at second-five suggests he is now the front runner for that position in the Heartland games, something made even more likely by the decision of Greytown's Tapaga Isaac not to make himself available for representative play. Te Whare certainly did not look out of place last weekend, performing strongly.
Making his debut in the Wairarapa-Bush colours at centre tomorrow will be the third of the Old Boys University "imports" in Titapu Pairama-Lewington, who is said to have a handy turn of pace and good communication skills, while Nick Olson and Cameron Hayton will start on the wings and Glen Walters likewise at fullback.
They give Wairarapa-Bush a powerful back three, a situation which will not change when Nathan Hunt, who was so impressive during his two-try effort against Poverty Bay, comes off the bench in the second half.
Horowhenua-Kapiti, for their part, will have taken heart from their second half showing against Wairarapa-Bush when the two teams met at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington earlier in the season. Wairarapa-Bush did win that game but, after completely dominating the first 40 minutes, spent most of the second deep in their own territory.
