Wairarapa prepare for scrap

ON THE BALL: Prolific points scorer Glen Walters is airborne as he gathers possession in the match with King Country last weekend.PHOTO/CHRIS KILFORD

Wairarapa-Bush will have another scrap on their hands when they play Buller in a Heartland championship rugby match at Wetsport on Saturday.

Lochore Cup champions last year, Buller have made no secret of their intentions to challenge strongly for a semi-final berth in the premier section, the Meads Cup, in 2013 and they are well on the way doing so.

Already they have had wins over last year's Meads Cup finalists East Coast (28-12) and Wanganui (15-11) as well as Horowhenua-Kapiti (19-15) and they have managed to snaffle a bonus point from their losses to Thames Valley (18-23) and West Coast (17-23).

So while Wairarapa-Bush are currently sailing along nicely at the top of the Heartland table with 19pts Buller, on 15pts, are fourth equal and close enough to actually leapfrog Wairarapa-Bush if they can win on Saturday, score four or more tries in the process and deny Wairarapa-Bush any bonus points. That scenario would, of course, take Buller to 20pts and leave Wairarapa-Bush on 19 with just two preliminary round matches still to come.

Buller have recruited well. Into their line-up have come Marlborough Red Devils skipper, flanker/lock Reyne Volovola, and his Red Devils teammate, midfielder Milke Schmidt-Lealava'a. Outside back William Saukuru hails from the Sumner club in Christchurch.

They have plenty of experience to help their cause too. Prop Phil Beveridge captains the side and he has nearly 130 games for Buller to his credit while hard-nosed flanker Luke Brownlie is nearing the 150 mark. Hard-running midfielder Penijamini Nabainavalu is close to his half-century of appearances and is a prolific try scorer around whom Buller build many of their attacks. Halfback Andrew Stephens is also an old hand with more than 50 games to his credit.

With so many classy backs in their squad Buller do like to move the ball around although reports of this season's Heartland games would suggest they don't mind slugging it out through their forwards as well. And that's no surprise when you consider the influence the likes of Beveridge and Brownlie have on the side.

There would be few tougher when it comes to physical confrontation.

One area though in which Wairarapa-Bush should have a decided advantage is goal kicking. First-five Glen Walters has pretty well started where he left off last year in that regard and with 66pts from 13 penalties, 12 conversions and a dropped goal he has established a clear lead on the Heartland individual points list. Nearest to him there are Murray Williams (Mid-Canterbury) 52, Kane Adams (Thames Valley) and Tim Priest (West Coast) 50.

Most tries to date are the four scored by Leon Ake of Poverty Bay and amongst a group of seven with three tries are Wairarapa-Bush duo Paul Tikomainavalu and Finnbarr Kerr-Newell. The latter two have been in dynamic attacking form of late and are sure to retain their places in the starting line-up for the Westport match but it won't surprise if coaches Mark Rutene and Paddy Gough make at least a couple of changes.

Bringing Tapaga Isaac into midfield will surely be a consideration and others pressing for starts on this occasion are prop Jonathan Fuamaono, hooker Jamie Hunt, lock Wiremu Grace and utility forward Sam Marshall-Wilson.