Interesting newcomers feature in rep squad

Former Wellington B and Buller halfback Nick Risdon is one of several interesting newcomers in a 31-strong Wairarapa-Bush rugby squad named today to prepare for a match against New Zealand Defence Forces at Memorial Park, Masterton next Tuesday.
Risdon plays at premier division club level in Wellington for Hutt Old Boys-Marist and Wairarapa-Bush coach Kelvin Tantrum cites his experience as making him a "very useful" addition to his line-up.
"He's been around a while and he's still rated highly in Wellington," Tantrum said of Risdon.
"And, quite frankly, he fills a spot where the lack of depth always had the potential to be a problem."
Making Risdon's acquisition even more valuable is the fact that the other halfback in the Wairarapa-Bush squad, East Coast's Zeb Aporo, has already indicated he won't be available for three of the early Heartland championship games.
Interestingly enough, Aporo has played most his club rugby over the past couple of seasons at least at first five-eighth.
First-five remains, in fact, one of the more contentious positions in the Wairarapa-Bush side now Patrick Rimene has retired and last year's understudy Dean Grant is overseas
Three possibilities in the current squad are Jason Kjestrup (Gladstone), Jono Hurley (Carterton) and Byron Karaitiana (Masterton Star) although Hurley will probably have to sit out the opening match after damaging his thumb in a club game on Saturday.
The new face among the midfielders is the in-form Sam Mitchell (East Coast) while Junior Togia, who plays his club rugby for Tawa in Wellington, will be competing for a wing berth alongside another couple of possible debutantes in Rupeni Temani (Eketahuna) and Rob Atkinson (Martinborough).
Togia was one of the success stories in Wairarapa-Bush's 2008 Heartland campaign and has the versatility to also play at centre or fullback.
Just who will fill the latter role is a matter of conjecture with no specialist named there.
Nick Olson (East Coast) is a utility player who could be considered and Heemi Tupaea (Masterton Red Star) and Hurley fall into the same category.
In the forwards the selection of flanker Joss Tua-Davidson and lock Brandon Young, who both play for Bush in the Manawatu premier grade, was no surprise after their impressive showings for the Bush XV which lost narrowly to a Wairarapa XV on Queen's Birthday Monday.
Young's inclusion has been given added importance through the ankle injury suffered by Carterton lock Tomasi Kedrabuka on Saturday.
Kedrabuka has been the main ball winner at lineout time for Wairarapa-Bush for some seasons now and a leaper of Young's ilk will be especially handy if he is not around.
Injury concerns have also led to eight front rowers being named with the new faces there, being Jared Shelvock (Eketahuna), Adam Marshall (Martinborough) and the Puketoi duo, Jared Brock and Mick Bevan, the latter being a recent arrival from Scotland.
The full squad, which also covers the Ranfurly Shield match with Wellington at Memorial Park on July 2, is:-
Backs: Zeb Aporo (East Coast), Nick Risdon (Hutt Old Boys-Marist), Jono Hurley (Carterton), Byron Karaitiana (Masterton Red Star), Jason Kjestrup (Gladstone), Sam Mitchell (East Coast), Jordan Watene (Masterton Red Star), Heemi Tupaea (Masterton Red Star), Junior Togia (Tawa), Tommy Harmon (Pioneer), Rupeni Tamani (Eketahuna), Nick Olson (East Coast), Rob Atkinson (Martinborough).
Forwards: Brett Rudman (Greytown), Jared Shelvock (Eketahuna), Willie Leota (East Coast), Adam Marshall (Martinborough), Richard Puddy (Gladstone), Jared Brock (Puketoi), Mick Bevan (Puketoi), Kurt Simmonds (Gladstone), Tomasi Kedrabuka (Carterton), Andrew McLean (Gladstone), Brandon Young (Bush), Andrew Compain (Carterton), Joss Tua-Davidson (Bush), Mike Wakefield (Carterton), Nathan Rolls (Pioneer), Joe Feast (East Coast), Jared Hawkins (Martinborough), Duncan Law (Puketoi).