Thumbs up for frontal assault

Gary Caffell | 9th June 2010

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.