- Sunday 5 September 2010
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Keeping their cards close to their chest
FACE-OFF: Cory Karaitiana (left) and Mark Rutene are expecting a battle royal in the grand final of the Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby competition on Saturday. PICTURE / LYNDA FERINGA
Neither Carterton nor Masterton Red Star are claiming favouritism as they prepare for the grand final of the Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby competition at Memorial Park, Masterton, on Saturday.
The two clashes between the two sides this season have already produced very different results with Masterton Red Star prevailing 20-10 in the first of them and Carterton 28-14 in the second and the coaches are expecting a battle royal in the one that matters most.
Carterton coach Mark Rutene and his Masterton Red Star counterpart, Cory Karaitiana, are quick to point to the evenness of the two sides at back and forward and both are adamant they will need to lift their performance levels from that which produced hard-fought semifinal victories last weekend, Carterton 12-6 over East Coast and Masterton Red Star 26-16 over Eketahuna.
''We have to do better, we have to go up another notch,'' Rutene said yesterday and similar sentiments came from Karaitiana, who said his team were well aware that Saturday would be a greater challenge.
''Yes, it's definitely a step up, no doubt about that.''
Rutene doesn't hold with talk that Masterton Red Star will pose more of a problem in the backs than they will up front.
''Sure, they do have some talented backs but you can't under-rate their forwards.
Karaitiana, for his part, knows that anybody asked to assess Carterton's greatest strength would very probably point to the experience and fire in their pack but he isn't being swayed by that opinion.
''Look at their backs, they have a lot of players there who can run tries in from anywhere. They are a threat ... a big threat.''
Just who will be part of their starting line-ups for the grand final wasn't about to be revealed by either coach yesterday with both of them simply saying they would be reviewing past form and then making a decision on who they see as most suited to meeting the challenges.
And they were also staying mum on their tactical approach, saying only they would be talking things over with their management, staff and senior players before deciding what would serve them best in that regard.
There was acrimony, too, in the thought that with both teams likely to include proven goal kickers in their side _ Byron Karaitiana for Masterton Red Star and Jono Hurley for Carterton _ discipline could play a huge factor in the end result of a match likely to go right to the wire.
All of which left your humble correspondent thinking that if ever these two chaps are looking for another job, then parliamentarian should be top of their list.
