Wellington club star in in Wairarapa-Bush debut

The top try scorer in Wellington club rugby this season will make his debut for Wairarapa-Bush in their non-championship match with Wanganui at Palmerston North on Friday night.
Marika Kau, 21, has been a revelation for Oriental-Rongotai, for whom he has scored 17 tries, and is said to be enthusiastic about the prospect of playing for Wairarapa-Bush at NPC third division level in 2005.
"He seems keen to give it a decent crack and we're happy to have him," Wairarapa-Bush selector-coach Peter Russell said of Kau, who is of Fijian descent., stands 6ft 2ins tall and weighs in at 90kg.
Kau will be part of a colourful three-quarter-line for the Wanganui game, joined as he will be by fellow wingers Jorgi Tamani. and Esava Teko and centre Simanu Simanu.
Tamani strutted his stuff in spectacular fashion in Eketahuna's 50-10 walloping of Gladstone in the grand final of the Wairarapa-Bush senior first division competition on Saturday, scoring four memorable tries. A broken arm stifled his rep season last year but he is fully recovered now and thriving on regular play.
Teko is a team-mate of Kau in the Oriental-Rongotai club side for whom he often plays at fullback. He was in record breaking try scoring form for Wairarapa-Bush in 2004 and his ability to create something out of nothing in an attacking sense makes him a constant menace to any defensive screen.
Simanu has become an integral part of the Wairarapa-Bush side over the past couple of seasons, being just as robust on defence as he is on attack His confrontational style of play has won plaudits from many good judges and it would be no surprise to see targeted by "scouts" from some of the bigger unions over the next couple of months.
Coach Russell has gone with Dutch international Bart Viguurs as his number one fullback for the Wanganui match.
Most of his rugby to date has been played at first-five but knowledgeable rugby men of the ilk of former All Blacks Jeff Wilson and Alan Hewson liked what they saw of him at fullback during a recent stint at the Mexted Rugby Academy.
Friday's game gives him a royal opportunity to confirm that opinion and, by doing so, a regular place in the NPC squad.
Another interesting backline selection for the Wanganui game is that of Marist's Charlie Bargh who has joined James Bruce in the halfback role.For Bargh it is a reward for a solid club season and his cause would have been helped by his proven partnership with first-five Patrick Rimene, a Marist stalwart for many seasons.
No doubt the absence of Hamish McKenzie, who has played so well at halfback for Eketahuna all season and who has served Wairarapa-Bush ably in the past, will raise a few eyebrows but his availability for representative action in 2005 has still to be confirmed.
In the forwards it is the front row who will be the centre of most attention on Friday night. Props Brendan Walker, Dylan Higgison and Logan Ili will be well aware that a recent acquisition from South Africa in Ashley Wells is breathing down their necks and just two of the three hookers named-Rob Foreman, Ritchie McDonald and Joe Harwood- will probably be required for the NPC campaign.
In Harwood's case though his ability to also.slot in at prop or No.8 could see him used in a utility role.
Ili's selection is interesting on the basis that he received two yellow cards when part of the Carterton team which won the senior second division club title on Saturday and that would normally mean a term of suspension. However, the second offence for a supposedly late tackle was a case of mistaken identity and no charge resulted from it.
Three locks are also being taken into the Wanganui game, Carterton duo Tomasi Kedarabuka and Dan Filihiahekava and promising Marist player Corey Reid, and of them only the very impressive Kedarabuka is absolutely guaranteed an NPC position. So again form on Friday will be the deciding factor for the other two.
Wairarapa-Bush has a glut of quality loose forwards and even the absence of skipper Mike Robinson should not detract from their effort in that area. Robinson will be involved in the Wellington club semi-finals on the Saturday and has justifiably been given time off by coach Russell.