Gladstone?s special incentive to win

Gladstone will have a special incentive to beat Eketahuna in their Wairarapa-Bush senior first division rugby match at Gladstone tomorrow.
Victory would mean that Gladstone completed the preliminary round with the perfect record of nine wins in as many matches and, consequently, confirm them as warm favourites for the 2007 premiership.
The form book says Gladstone should have little difficulty thwarting the Eketahuna challenge with the Bush side sitting all of 12 points behind them in the competition table but Gladstone coach Steve Thompson is sure to have warned his side that if any side is capable of taking advantage of any complacency in the opposition camp it is Eketahuna.
With Brendan Walker in the front row and Dan Griffin at lock they have proven performers to lead the way in the crucial set pieces of lineout and scrum and Solly Alsop is a flanker who took the eye for Wairarapa-Bush against Hawke's Bay on Monday.
The availability of Simanu Simanu would be a huge boost to Eketahuna as he is clearly the main attacking force in their backline.
He is recovering from a bout of pneumonia and whether he will take the field was unclear at the time these notes were penned.
With him and Jon Guillard in the midfield, Jorji Tamani on the wing and Dan White at fullback Gladstone can ill afford to take the Eketahuna backs lightly if their forwards give them a reasonable share of quality ball to play with.
Gladstone though aren't short of individual stars either.
They will fancy the likes of Kurt Simmonds, Steve Wilkinson and Mike Spence making their presence big time in the forward exchanges and likewise Matt Easton, Mike Shaw, George Williams and Andrew Patrick in the backs.
All in all it should be a close go with Gladstone starting favourites ... but only just.
Carterton might be on a winning roll but the huge problems they had at scrum time against Masterton Red Star last weekend will surely see East Coast putting the acid on them there too in their clash at Whareama.
At the same time though Carterton should dominate the lineouts through Tomasi Kedarabuka and Jono Hurley, Justin Lett and Lance Stevenson should ensure they have the edge in the backs too.
Marist will be anticipating some fireworks in their encounter with Greytown-Tuhirangi at Tuhirangi. The combined side will want to take control up front for Marist has the greater attacking capability in the backs so there should be no lack of endeavour from the home side in the forward exchanges.
Don't be surprised if this one goes right down to the wire.
There shouldn't be much either in the Martinborough v Pioneer match at Martinborough. Pioneer have the better record of the two teams to date and will generally be expected to win but Martinborough are a fiesty lot who have the home advantage so here too an upset is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Masterton Red Star might have been well beaten in the end by Carterton last weekend but their forwards could certainly take something positive out of their scrummaging and of their foraging in the loose and they will need to repeat that effort if they are to measure up to Puketoi at Memorial Park.
Puketoi have had just the one win so far ?as have Stars ? but have competed well in most of their games and will be targeting this one as their chance to move well away from the bottom of the points table.