Heavyweights will be missed

LIVELY: Inia Katia ... is he the man to add spark to the Wairarapa-Bush backline?PHOTO/FILE

WAIRARAPA-Bush will have to overcome a lack of bulk up front if they are to beat South Canterbury in their Heartland championship rugby match at Memorial Park, Masterton, on Saturday.

Even at full strength, the Wairarapa-Bush pack would have to be one of the lightest going around in this competition but the likelihood of them being without two of their bulkiest, prop Kurt Simmonds and lock James Wall, for this particular match suggests the gaining of parity in the tighter exchanges will be a formidable challenge.

Simmonds left the field with a knee injury during the first half of last weekend's match with Buller at Westport and he did not train on Tuesday.

Head coach Josh Syms said that if Saturday's match was a semifinal or final the Greytown front rower would probably be risked but it was more likely he would be rested for this game to allow the injury the extra time to heal.

The absence of Simmonds would not only mean Wairarapa-Bush being without one of their strongest scrummagers and maulers but he is virtually without peer when it comes to close-quarter tackling.

The efficiency of their goal-line defence has been Wairarapa-Bush's main attribute in their Heartland campaign and no one has contributed more to the cause in that area than Simmonds.

Wall made his first appearance for Wairarapa-Bush this season in the Buller match and the former Wellington ITM lock made a favourable impression, not only for his lineout skills but, perhaps even more so, for his ability to crash his way over the advantage line with ball in hand. Invariably it took at least a couple of defenders to halt his momentum.

Wall had advised his unavailability for Saturday's match at the time he joined the Wairarapa-Bush squad because of a prior commitment. Syms and assistant coach Wayne Roache won't confirm their starting line-up for the South Canterbury game until after tomorrow night's training session but if, as expected, Simmonds is missing they have a couple of options for the front row.

They could move hooker Andrew Makalio to prop and start Kody Thompson at hooker - a scenario that worked well when Simmonds left the field in Buller - or they could simply make a straight swap between Simmonds and specialist prop Jacko Hull, who didn't travel to Westport because of a health issue but will be back this weekend.

The loss of Wall also leaves two options as to who will join James Goodger in the middle row. Obvious candidates are the McFadzean brothers, Lachie and Johnie, and while they don't have the bulk of Wall they are both experienced campaigners at Heartland level who won't lack anything in endeavour.

There has to be a possibility of change in the loose forward trio. Chris Raymond was a revelation on the openside flank in the Heartland games against Thames Valley and North Otago but was forced from the field with an elbow injury against Buller and his replacement, Rima Marurai, became one of the star performers in the 14-13 win.

Whether that was enough for Marurai to get a start on Saturday remains to be seen but whoever gets the nod Wairarapa-Bush will be well served in a crucial role.

The main poser facing Syms and Roache in their backline selections is whether any tinkering with the personnel used in the first three Heartland matches would add to the scoring potential.

Do they, for instance, place the versatile Inia Katia somewhere to liven up things right from the word go rather than introducing him from the bench, and would it be worth having a look at one of the best steppers in the region in Malatai Malatai, who is in the B squad?

Katia and Malatai are players who can create something out of nothing. Having at least one of them in the starting line-up might add an extra spark of brilliance to provide prime scoring chances.