Cheetham warns players

Reputation will count for little in the selection of the Wairarapa-Bush NPC first division rugby squad in 2007. That's the warning from co-coach Graham Cheetham, who has been "peeved off" at the non-attendance of some of the more senior members of last year's championship-winning team at pre-season training sessions.
Cheetham said these players could be in for a shock if they were working under the belief that what happened in 2006 would make them certainties for selection in the coming season. He said he and his coaching partner, Lofty Stevenson, were operating along the lines that every player who wanted to represent their province should be prepared to do the hard yards, and that meant attending any training sessions unless they had excuses for not doing so.
"Just not turning up without saying anything isn't good enough?if they want to be there then they have to do a lot better than that," he said. " Attitude is very important to us and we need to get that right from the word go."
Cheetham and Stevenson were pleased, however, at the commitment shown by the 26 players who attended their latest pre-season training session on Monday night.Many of them were either new faces or players who have not yet repped for Wairarapa-Bush at NPC level and Cheetham was encouraged by their enthusiasm, especially in contact situations
"They really seemed to enjoy what they were doing, they weren't holding anything back," he said.
It is not surprising then that those players largely make up the Wairarapa-Bush XV selected by Cheetham and Stevenson to play the Mexted Academy XV at the Rugby Institute in Palmerston North tomorrow.
In fact, just four of the regulars in last year's NPC first division squad are there?props Brent Rudman and Brendon Walker, No.8 Mike Spence and centre Simanu Simanu, who will captain the side. Also there are four others who have played for the province in the past. hooker Rob Foreman, lock Daniel Griffin, second-five Ben Couch and wing Joji Tamani.
Foreman is now a part of the Manawatu Turbos Air NZ Cup side and has been included in the Wairarapa-Bush XV because of a dearth of hookers, Griffin intends to join up again with Eketahuna this coming season after playing for Bush in the Manawatu competition last year and Couch and Tamani are older hands with still plenty to offer on the rep scene if required.
The full Wairarapa-Bush XV is: Matt Easton; Joji Tamani, Simanu Simanu, Ben Couch, Angus Crisp; Daryl Pollock; Michael Hollis; Mike Spence; Solly Alsop, Daniel Griffin, Jared Bambry Reuben Daysh; Brendon Walker, Rob Foreman, Brent Rudman. Reserves: Angus McMillan, Kurt Simmons, Phil Griffin, Josh Mackey, Richard Puddy, Evan Small, Jon Guillard.
The opposition facing this side will be formidable, something borne out when the Mexted Academy team walloped a Manawatu development XV by 80 - 7 just a few days ago.
The academy squad contains two United States national reps, a Chilean, two South Africa under-21 reps and a number of players who have trialled for the New Zealand Colts. Cheetham accepts that expecting the Wairarapa XV to make a close game of it might be too much to ask because of their lack of preparation but he sees no reason why they shouldn't be competitive, at least.
"We aim to make them work hard for everything they get, we'll just concentrate on doing the basics well and go from there," he said.
Cheetham said the match also provided the players with a royal opportunity to put their hands up for NPC selection later in the year.
"Anybody who takes the eye here will be doing themselves a favour in that respect, no doubt about that,' he said.