By Stu Piddington

New Zealand Marist coach Shaun Breen is happy with his squad to take on the New Zealand Heartland team despite some last minute scrambling.

Breen had to wait until the Heartland side was announced on Wednesday night as the Heartland side have first pick of players for the game in Timaru on November 4.

A number of pencilled in players on the Marist ledger were snapped up by Heartland coach Barry Matthews, including their proposed inside back combination.

john bisset

Celtic's Willie Wright was snapped by the NZ Heartland side, which means he will play against the team he was also in line for.

Each Marist affiliated club across the country nominates three players and in the case of Timaru Celtic all three nominees, halfback Willie Wright, prop Matt Fetu and openside Nick Strachan, made the NZ Heartland squad.

West Coast first five Tom Reekie and Mid Canterbury's Jared Percival were in the same situation depriving Marist of two first choice 10s.

Nelson Marist midfielder James Hawkey will return home to play for New Zealand Marist against the Heartland XV in Timaru. Hawkey is one of a handful of players in the side with Mitre 10 Cup experience.

Breen said that was just the way things were.

"We had 60 nominations so we just went back and looked at them and I am happy with what we have.

"The game for us will be Barbarians style rugby as we will not have a lot of time together.

"If someone goes through a gap they just keep going."

Despite the defections NZ Marist side looks to have plenty of depth to challenge the Heartland Championships best.

It includes two players who have represented Hawkes Bay this season in Hasting's hooker Jacob Devery and Napier halfback Scot Donaldson.

Second five James Hawkey has also turned out for Tasman in the Mitre 10 Cup, while another former Timaru Celtic player and South Canterbury representative  Sam Vea, also made the cut.

As well as Vea, Hamilton Marist also supplied the Tucker brothers, Brad and James, to the side.

Both are loose forwards, whose grandfather Mick Hannam played over 100 games for Mid Canterbury.

The side also features Whangarei's utility back Renata Tenana, son of former New Zealand seven's star Karl Tenana.

Tenana junior produced one of the great club fullback performances to lead Old Boys Marist to back-to-back premiership titles in the Northland competition. 

Wanganui's Cameron Crowley and Viki Tofa will also turn out after the Meads Cup final on Saturday.

Ashburton Celtic's wing Christian Vainere also has plenty of experience for his age, turning out for the Cook Islands under 20 representative side last season.

Only two members of the 2017 NZ Marist team have survived, Ashburton's Angus Lyndsay and his locking partner Villiaime Rersea, from Ardmore.

Breen said it should be an entertaining game with plenty of good match-ups.

"Viki Tofa was in the Heartland side last year and Matt (Fetu) was in Marist and this year they have swapped around. That will be a good battle.

"Likewise Willie (Wright) will face Regan Sword, who I understand played for Wellington B."

Breen and co-coach Nigel Walsh were appointed to the Marist coaching roles in part to honour Timaru Celtic's record breaking run of nine successive Hamersley Cup club titles.

The pair will face-off against a very familiar coaching opponent in Matthews, who guided South Canterbury to the Meads Cup semi-finals.

The game will played at Alpine Energy Stadium, with Heartland XV looking to defend the McRae Cup, which is played for on an annual basis between the two sides.

​NZ Marist: Cameron Flavell, Villaime Rersea, Seseimani Toupo (Ardmore Marist), Angus Lyndsay, Christian Vainerere (Ashburton Celtic),  Antini Brown (Athletic Marist, Oamaru), Brad Tucker, James Tucker, Sam Vea (Hamilton Marist),  Jacob Devery (Hastings Rugby & Sports), Dyllon Pederson (Marist St Michaels, Rotorua), JJ Manning, Dylan Lolohea (Marist Albion, Christchurch),  Regan Sword (Marist St Pat's, Wellington), Zac Donaldson (Napier Old Boys Marist), James Hawkey (Nelson Marist), Ben Worthmuller, Kameli Kuruyabacki (Palmerston North Old Boys Marist), Scott Mellon (Tukapa, New Plymouth),  Cameron Crowley, Vicki Tofa (Wanganui Marist), Renata Te Nana (Whangarei Marist), coaches: Sean Breen, Nigel Walsh (Timaru Celtic), manager Chris Back (Wanganui Marist)