Tantrum happy with first outing of the year

Wairarapa-Bush rugby coach Kelvin Tantrum gave his side the thumbs up after their 26-3 win over New Zealand Defence Forces at Memorial Park, Masterton on Tuesday.
With several newcomers involved and the icy conditions testing skill levels to the max Tantrum wasn't too sure what to expect and he was delighted with the end result, both in terms of the actual scoreline and how it was achieved.
"No one could say it was a perfect performance but, frankly, we couldn't have expected any better than what we got," he said. " They (Defence Forces) didn't make it easy for us and we kept grinding away well, it was pretty encouraging stuff."
Tantrum was particularly happy with the platform provided up front by the tight five, whose unity of purpose meant they provided ample opportunity for both the loosies and the backs to run the ball at their opposition.
"We talked a lot beforehand of wanting the tight forwards to stay together and work as a unit and I thought they did a fine job in that respect," he said. "It's the sort of thing we didn't always do too well last season, we tended to loosen up too early in our games then and paid the price for it.".
Tantrum saw mainly positives in the set pieces of scrum and lineout although he conceded there were a few communication problems between hookers and jumpers in the latter department.
"We didn't always get the timing of the throw right but that was more a case of players still getting used to each other than anything else," he said.
Tantrum was impressed too by the impact made off the bench by forwards like No 8 Nathan Rolls and prop Nick Beavon, both of whom made several telling bursts in the second half.
"We always hear people talking about impact players but you can only call them that if they actually do make an impact," he said.
"I felt we did well in that area so that was a definite plus."
Also pleasing Tantrum was the willingness of the backs to be inventive despite the elements and while there was the odd errant judgment call he felt their overall option taking was up to scratch
"Again there were some communication hassles but when you are still developing combinations you have to expect that," he said
No injuries of any consequence were suffered by Wairarapa-Bush which means the same squad will go into their upcoming assignment against Central Hawke's Bay in Waipukurau next Wednesday.
It will be played under lights, starting at 6.30pm, and will, of course, be the final dress rehearsal for Thursday, July 2, when Wairarapa-Bush will challenge Wellington for the Ranfurly Shield on their home ground at Memorial Park.
No one is more aware than coach Tantrum of the magnitude of that task and he is wisely revolving his talk about the occasion rather than the prospects of Wairarapa-Bush causing what would be the biggest upset in Shield history.
"It's the opportunity to experience Shield rugby and to front up against some of the best players in the country which is exciting," he said.
"Our whole focus is centred around being as competitive as we can possibly be and if we manage that we'll be happy, no matter what the score is."