Wairarapa-Bush rugby head coach Mark Rutene has an extended squad of 30 players going through their paces as they prepare for a non-championship fixture against Horowhenua-Kapiti at Westpac Stadium on Saturday, May 26.
Rutene and assistant Paddy Gough will have to trim that number back to 22 for a gamewhich has been given first-class status but they almost certainly won't make the cut until three days beforehand.
"We want to give everybody in the current squad a fair opportunity to push claims for selection, we are not in any hurry to say who will be there and who won't," Rutene said yesterday.
Competition for places in the starting XV will be keen after the excellent showing made by a Wairarapa-Bush XV in their "friendly" against New Zealand Universities last month.
Several players who didn't play in that game or who were given only limited chances to impress are in the reckoning for the match with Heartland neighbours Horowhenua-Kapiti.
Impressive form at club level sees Damien Kamo-Paku (Pioneer) and Troy Bramley (Martinborough) contesting berths in the three-quarter line.
The experienced Byron Karaitiana (East Coast) is back in the running for first-five and first-string goalkicker, and exciting Gladstone player Inia Katia has thrust himself into contention for the halfback role.
Up front, another promising member of the in-form Pioneer side, Matt Kawana, has been brought in to bolster the somewhat thin propping ranks, and Bush Sports duo Sam Marshall-Wilson and Rangi Wolland are in the mix for lock.
Eketahuna's Rupene Tamani and Joe Temoci of Gladstone add interest to the loose-forward battle.
The versatile Temoci did not look out of place when tried at second-five against Universities but is apparently more suited to No8 duties.
With Joss Tua-Davidson retired, a new Wairarapa-Bush captain will be named this season and the inside running seems to be held by Greytown front-rower Kurt Simmonds, who has done the job before. He will lead the side at the Westpac Stadium.
