Football
Nobody can deny Marquis Wairarapa United have a hard act to follow when they confront Petone in a Central League football match at Petone tomorrow.
Their well-documented wins over the top two sides, Wellington Olympic and Miramar Rangers, at Queen's Birthday weekend have made Wairarapa United the talk of the town in footballing circles. But with that success comes the extra pressure of having to live up to their new-found reputation.
That Petone are nowhere near as formidable as Olympic or Miramar Rangers is evidenced by their sitting seventh-equal on the points table, four places behind Wairarapa United. But they have been party-poopers for Wairarapa United before, taking valuable points off them in 2011 and 2012 when they were challenging hard for their first Central League title - something, of course, they are still to achieve.
Little wonder then that coach Phil Keinzley has been at pains to endorse Petone as difficult opponents who will be taking an "everything to gain and nothing to lose" philosophy into this particular match.
"They won't be worrying about what happened last weekend. In fact, if anything, it will inspire them to lift their game," Keinzley said. "Any complacency and we will be in big trouble." The loss of Dale Higham to Junior All White duty is a blow for Wairarapa United, as he has been one of their form players all season, forever troubling opponents with his speed on attack and also being prepared to do his share of the hard graft in defence.
Higham's absence is likely to give Aaron Spierling a spot in the starting line-up, which would be just reward for some excellent efforts off the bench and, if Vanuatu international Brian Kalteck is cleared to make his debut, the formation of the defensive unit will be a matter of interest. There Kalteck would be competing for a starting role with the likes of Waisake Sabatu, Esava Nqueleca and Josh Margretts, something of a selectorial nightmare for Keinzley, who was likely to rely on form at last night's training session to be the deciding factor.
Interesting, too, will be the shape of the Wairarapa United attack. That exciting Frenchman Charles-Francois Mallman will be up front seems certain, but whether Keinzley will have both George Jermy and Seule Soromon join him remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Keinzley can see the funny side of Wairarapa United having drawn Napier City Rovers away in the next round of Chatham Cup matches.
Only twice in 14 cup games over the past three seasons has Wairarapa United had home advantage and Keinzley can empathise with the logic of a team member who reckons it's because their name starts with a W. "We're thinking of changing our name to Rappa United to get further up the alphabet, maybe that could help," he said.