Wairarapa will be in the unusual position of favourite at the Adidas Cup triangular tennis tournament to be played in Wanganui tomorrow and Sunday.
Although they have never won this particular event Wairarapa's history-making success at the quinrangular tourney in December where the opposition included such powerful combinations as Wellington, Hutt
Valley and Kapiti suggests they should account for both Manawatu and Wanganui on this occasion.
And if that is the case they will finish their 2007-08 campaign unbeaten, the first time that has happened in many years, possibly even ever.
This weekend's tourney was, in fact, meant to be a quadrangular with Hawke's Bay also involved but they withdrew at the eleventh hour for reasons unknown.
Selector Steve Hurley admits Wairarapa have to be a strong chance to win their two matches this weekend but, at the same time, he is wary of predicting such a result, a cautiousness based on the considerable depth of talent in both Manawatu and Wanganui.
"They are always very useful sides and you can never be sure of beating them," he said.
"But, yes, we have to fancy our chances this time, if there has to be a favourite I suppose we deserve to be it."
Boosting Wairarapa's prospects is the decision of Marcus Daniell to make himself available after a series of outstanding performances on the NZMT (New Zealand Money Tournament) circuit.
He has won three titles there and it's difficult to imagine him tasting defeat in either singles or doubles play this weekend
Daniell will be part of a Wairarapa men's section which contains seven players.
Jono Hurley and Baden Stevenson seem sure to play a big part in the singles action while other spots will be contested by Luke Atkinson, Russell Broughton, Chris Schofield and Geoff Janse.
Spearheading the women's section for Wairarapa will be Emma Stevenson and Katie Wyeth and they will be joined by Ashleigh Gane, Leanne Sweeney and Carla Didsbury.
