Wairarapa-Bush rugby coach Kelvin Tantrum was delighted with the aggressive, confrontational style of forward play in the sub-union's fixture between Bush and Wairarapa at Pongaroa on Monday.
Both packs went at it hammer and tongs on the muddy surface and that was exactly what Tantrum wanted to see with an eye
to the Heartland championship later in the season.
''We need forwards who will get stuck in from the word go and I think we have more of that type than we have had in the past couple of seasons,'' Tantrum said. ''The physicality was impressive, we couldn't have wished for anything better in that respect.''
Also pleasing Tantrum was the ability of the teams _ and 27-10 winners Bush in particular _ to apply tactics well suited to the wet.
''They [Bush] got on top up front early on and they ensured as much of the action as possible revolved around their forwards, it was good, sensible stuff,'' he said.
However, there was a downside to the conditions, with neither side able to set their backs alight in an attacking sense. There were the odd glimpses of individual brilliance, notably from Wairarapa fullback Nick Olson, but the pugginess of the ground meant rapid acceleration was practically out of the question.
''It was tough on the backs, they didn't really have the chance to leave their mark on the game,'' Tantrum said. ''There was some pretty handy defensive work at times, but we didn't see a lot of their attacking capabilities.''
The fact a number of near certainties for Heartland championship selection were unable to take the field because of sickness or injury also detracted from the match to some extent. Among the missing were forwards Joe Harwood, Duncan Law, Joss Tua-Davidson, Tomasi Kedrabuka and Chris Senior and backs James Bruce, Byron Karaitiana and Heemi Tupaea. Most of those players are still likely to be included in an extended squad to be named _ probably tomorrow _ by Tantrum and his assistant coach Neil Foote for a ''friendly'' with Wanganui, to be played at Eketahuna on July 7. Tantrum revealed yesterday that ''up to 30'' players could be included in that squad _ and they would include a handful who had used Monday's encounter _ to press their claims for higher honours.
