Having to travel to Masterton for their NPC third division semi-final rugby match with Wairarapa-Bush on Saturday might, in fact, be a good omen for Mid-Canterbury. As co-coach Mark Cousins was quick to point out today Mid-Canterbury has yet to lose an away game in the third division series this season. "Iguess you could say we've travelled pretty well," he said. "Obviously you like to play these sort of games at home but it's not something which is concerning us too much" Cousins is anticipating a close finish on Saturday, something akin to what occurred in Ashburton last weekend when in the last of the preliminary round games Wairarapa-Bush edged out Mid-Canterbury 26-22. He sees the two teams as having similar strengths and weaknesses and predicts the result will probably depend on which of them best handle the pressure of the occasion. "It is a semi-final and if you lose you are out," he said. "I'd imagine there will be a bit more intensity about the play then there was last weekend. It's all or nothing now." Cousins was impressed by the overall solidity of Wairarapa-Bush in the preliminary round match and expects them to play "no frills" rugby again this weekend. "They won't try anything too fancy - they'll just play solid, sensible rugby and that's why they are so hard to bat," he said. "They don't give too much away." The Mid-Canterbury game plan will, as usual, revolve around the forwards obtaining a regular supply of quality ball and the backs looking to utilise the attacking talents of their bulky thee-quarter line, which is likely to include two wingers both weighing in at over 100kg. "We have try scoring potential out wide and it wouldn't make sense not to use them," Cousins said.
