Forward power to fore

What a difference a week makes in Heartland rugby.
This time seven days ago, the talk was that Wairarapa-Bush's entire 2011 campaign could be down the gurgler if they lost their opening pool B game with perennial battlers Buller in Westport.
Happily, the worst-case scenario didn't happen and while Wairarapa-Bush were the first to admit after their 23-16 success over Buller that room for improvement was substantial, it was a much-needed step in the right direction.
With victory comes confidence and now the pundits are expressing optimism Wairarapa-Bush can chalk up win number two against Mid-Canterbury at Masterton's Memorial Park tomorrow and virtually guarantee themselves a place in the Meads Cup play-offs.
But to beat Mid-Canterbury, Meads Cup finalists in the last two seasons, Wairarapa-Bush will need to lift their performance several notches. They will be confronting a Mid-Canterbury team smarting from their first-up 25-20 loss to Poverty Bay in a game they led 12-5 at one stage and then, after falling behind, almost pulled off a dramatic victory with a last-minute try.
Going on past experience they will have a formidable mix of size and mobility up front and will probably look to use the "pick and go" and rolling maul as the launching pads for their most potent attacks, while their backs will have enough pace and flair out wide to be far more than bit players in the overall scheme of things.
For the Wairarapa-Bush forwards then, this match will be all about soaking up the heat sure to be placed on them in the opening exchanges and then slowly but surely grinding their opposition into submission by sticking to the type of rugby which suits them best - aggressive and confrontational.
Their consistency in set piece play, scrummaging and lineout, has been a feature all season to date and it would be a surprise if they were overshadowed in either of those areas but they will need to be wary of defensive deficiencies around the fringes of the mauls as Mid-Canterbury are generally adept at exposing any weaknesses there. Shutting down the ball carrier before any real momentum is gained has to be an absolute priority.
The Wairarapa-Bush backs will probably apply tactics similar to those used successfully in Westport. There the focus was very much on playing the game in opposition territory and forcing the opposition to make mistakes in positions from which first-five Jeremy Te Huia could kick for goal. And he did so very effectively, six times in fact.
There are four changes to the starting line-up for tomorrow - Jared Brock in for Dylan Higgison at prop, Mano Faraimo for Duncan Law at No 8, Api Matenga for James Bruce at halfback and Cyrus Baker, who comes in at centre for Heemi Tupaea, who, in turn, moves out to the wing in place of Jesse McGilvary.
Higgison left the field through injury last week but is considered fit enough to be in the reserves tomorrow but McGilvary has 20 stitches to a cut under his chin.
Faraimo ahead of Law was always a possibility, while the halfback situation is a toss-up as Matenga and Bruce have been performing well.
Perhaps the most intriguing selection of all though is Baker, the former national secondary schools rep who played at centre for the championship-winning Havelock side in the 2010 Hawke's Bay's premier inter-club competition. A powerful runner with a good turn of speed, it will be a huge plus for the local side if he provides extra oomph on attack.
Wairarapa-Bush line-up: Nick Olson, Junior Togia, Cyrus Baker, Sam Mitchell, Heemi Tupaea, Jeremy Te Huia, Api Matenga, Mano Faraimo, Joss Tua-Davidson, Andrew McLean, Brandon Young, Rupeni Temani, Jared Brock, Joe Harwood (c), Kurt Simmonds. Reserves: James Bruce, Byron Karaitiana, Tommy Harmon, Richard Puddy, Dylan Higgison, Daniel Griffin, Duncan Law.
Two curtain-raiser matches will be played at Memorial Park tomorrow with the Wairarapa-Bush Bs taking on the Wellington Maori development squad at 1pm and the Wairarapa-Bush under-20s playing Wellington under-19s at 11.30am. The Wairarapa-Bush under-15s play Hawke's Bay in Waipukurau.