Up for the challenge

Farriers Wairarapa-Bush have been playing sudden death footy since round two of the competition.

On that basis, Saturday’s semi-final against Wanganui is no different.

But it is more than “just another game”.

Wairarapa-Bush have a point to prove. Only once have they won the Meads Cup title, and that was in 2006 when the coveted trophy first went up to grabs. This proud province is better than that.

Having played in five Meads Cup semi-finals Wairarapa-Bush have made the final only once. They have been to the play-offs three times in the last four seasons, on every occasion playing away from home.  One of those matches was against Wanganui, in 2012 losing 23-20.

History clearly shows that finals footy away from home doesn’t suit our boys. But you kind of get the feeling that there is something different about this Heartland campaign? Could 2016 be the year that Wairarapa-Bush kick for touch their Meads Cup hiatus?

First they have to get past Wanganui, no easy feat. Unbeaten since August 20 last year, Wanganui are currently on a 16-game unbeaten streak. They are the form team of the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship, averaging 45-points per game, while conceding only 13.

Wairarapa-Bush on the other hand have been patchy, particularly at home. They have lost as many games at Trust House Memorial Park as they have won, frustrating their supporters.

Encouragingly though they have played some good rugby when on the road, winning affectively when their backs are against the wall.

If nothing else, it has taught them to play under pressure, surely a feather in their cap heading into Saturday’s do-or-die encounter.

But for the bounce of the rugby ball – not to mention a few bouts of the dropsies – Wairarapa-Bush could have been preparing for a home semi-final this weekend rather than an away one. There was a five minute period during the second half of the match against Buller that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, including injuries to some key personnel. Instead of it being a season defining moment Josh Syms’ men have fronted-up and battled on showing the sort of resilience and character required to win a championship.

They will need every bit of that, and possibly more, if they are to end Wanganui’s winning run on Saturday.

This Wairarapa-Bush side has the ability to play some breath-taking rugby, we’ve seen glimpses of it at home, here’s hoping for a lot more at Cook’s Gardens in Whanganui on Saturday.

With question marks over the fitness of one or two players Syms is waiting until tonight to name his playing squad. Whether or not that will include half-back John Ika is unclear. Tune in here tomorrow and we will give you the full run down on the team.

Go the Bush!