It's RANFURLY SHIELD time

Shield challenge excites Wairarapa Bush

By WALT DICKSON - Wairarapa News | 10:51AM - Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Pitting Wairarapa-Bush against Wellington is nothing short of a David and Goliath match-up.

But unlike the biblical fable there will be no fairy-tale to this encounter.

The Wellington Lions will successfully defend the Ranfurly Shield in Masterton tomorrow, the question remains by what margin.

While the holders have named only one Super14 player (wing David Smith) in their starting XV a further four are on the bench and are expected to get some game time. The Jamie Joseph coached side also includes under-20 World Cup player Shaun Treeby (also on the bench) plus the capital's club standouts and academy prospects.

But realism aside, Wairarapa-Bush coach Kelvin Tantrum says he and his chargers can't help but be "very excited" about the challenge that awaits them. For grass-root rugby players, particularly in the modern era, the chance to play in a "Shield match" rarely, if ever, comes their way.

"Hopefully they can look back on it with a bit of fondness and say hey I played in a challenge for the Ranfurly Shield and I played pretty well," Tantrum says.

In that respect the score will be irrelevant. Tantrum says they will measure themselves by their own standards.

"The only expectation for us is to put a decent performance on the field. The public (and the players) have got to be realistic, I've seen the team that they have put up and it's a pretty bloody useful team so our expectation is that we have just got to put a good performance on the field."

The rugby public can not ask for anymore.

Wairarapa-Bush, who haven't won the famed "log o' wood" since 1950, last challenged for it in 2005 when they took on mighty Canterbury. While every bit the mis-match of tomorrow's encounter, Wairarapa-Bush, under Peter Russell, were Division Three Champions and primed for a successful campaign in the inaugural Heartland Championship. Tantrum on the other hand endured a disastrous debut with Wairarapa-Bush last season and to boot has lost a big contingent of his experienced personnel.

Of the XV to start tomorrow only seven have experience at Heartland level. Tantrum says the lack of experience is not ideal however he has every confidence in the squad.

"At this stage we are a very young team and really it is a case of seeing what they can do. Admittedly we will be under the hammer a fair bit but I'm happy with what I've seen so far . . . we are just trying to work on the basics and get hold of the ball and hang onto it for as long as we can when we do have it."

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WAIRARAPA SQUAD: 1 Nick Beavon, 2 Willie Leota, 3 Kurt Simmonds, 4 Andrew McLean, 5 Brandon Young, 6 Joss Tua-Davidson, 7 Jared Hawkins, 8 Duncan Law, 9 Zeb Aporo, 10 Byron Karaitiana, 11 Jordan Watene, 12 Sam Mitchell, 13 Heemi Tupaea, 14 Nick Olson, 15 Jason Kjestrup.

Reserves: - Richard Puddy, Brett Rudman, Nathan Rolls, Joe Feast, Nick Risdon, Tommy Harmon, Rupeni Temani.

MATCH: Wairarapa-Bush v Wellington Lions, Thursday 02 July 3pm Trust House Memorial Park Masterton.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/communities/wairarapa-news/2553421/Shield-challenge-excites-Wairarapa-Bush