Vatselias signed as loan player

Former Wairarapa College and Marist inside back Trent Vatselias has joined Wairarapa-Bush for their 2011 Heartland championship rugby campaign.
Vatselias, who plays for Marist St Pats in the Wellington premier club competition, has been signed as a "loan player" and will be a contender for the troublesome first-five spot. He was a member of the Wairarapa-Bush Colts side when it was coached by the now Heartland head coach Mark Rutene and has also represented Bay of Plenty at development squad level.
While delighted to have someone of Vatselias' capabilities available, Rutene was quick to emphasise yesterday that, like every other player in the Heartland squad, he would have to earn his place in the starting line-up.
"It will all come down to form, if he [Vatselias] shapes up well enough he will be there," Rutene said. "But we certainly haven't made any promises on that, nothing can be taken for granted."
Complicating matters for Rutene is that Vatselias isn't available to travel to Gisborne this coming weekend for what is Wairarapa-Bush's only warm-up match before their Heartland programme gets under way.
There they will play Poverty Bay and at stake will be the Jeremy David Memorial Trophy, named after a player who represented both unions during a career cut short by his tragic death.
The likelihood is Zeb Aporo will wear the No10 jersey in this match with Tipene Haira as his understudy.
And the odds also favour one of them filling the role for the first of the Heartland games against Thames Valley at Memorial Park the following weekend simply because Vatselias will be going through the settling-in process.
Aporo's preferred position, though, is halfback and it would be no surprise to see him moved in a place if Vatselias comes up to scratch. That situation would leave Michael O'Connor and Inia Katia contesting the second halfback spot. They will both be given match time in Gisborne.
The other backline spots for the Poverty Bay game should bring few surprises. Sam Mitchell looks to have second-five to himself and, with Jesse McGilvary battling injury, Heemi Tupaea seems set to start at centre with Michael Vuicikau and Dan Porter on the wings and Nick Olson at fullback.
Up front Wairarapa-Bush will have to do without the services of one of their new caps James Goodger because of impending fatherhood. This suggests the make-up of the loose forward trio will be skipper Joss Tua-Davidson and Johan Van Vliet on the flanks and Lee Ewe at No8.
Tall timber Dan Griffin and Andrew McLean should be the starting locks against Poverty Bay and the front row will probably initially consist of Brendan Walker and Kurt Simmonds at prop and Campbell Lawrence at hooker.