Highlanders boss Tony Brown lifts lid on playmaking shake-up
There are bound to be a number of puzzled onlookers confused about Highlanders head coach Tony Brown’s decision to slot Josh Ioane, his premier first-five, at fullback for this weekend’s clash against the Hurricanes.
That’s understandable, given the last time Ioane played in the position at this level was in a pre-season match against the Crusaders at the beginning of last year.
However, there is reasoning behind the master tactician’s madness, as he revealed to media in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Following his side’s 39-17 trouncing at the hands of the Blues in Auckland last week, Brown has figured that Ioane has been bogged down by the responsibility required of him as his team’s chief playmaker.
Playing in arguably rugby’s most important position, Brown suggested the burden Ioane feels of having to guide his side around the park is restricting his test-level talents as a ball-playing pivot.
It’s for that reason, then, that Mitch Hunt has been called back into the starting XV in the No 10 jersey to overtake that responsibility while Ioane has been cast at No 15.
In doing so, Brown has afforded the one-test All Black with the luxury of more freedom on the ball, more space to work with and less playmaking responsibility in the hope that Ioane can rekindle his best form at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday night.
“Mitch has been performing really well for us,” Brown said.
“He gives us the control we need and he just leads the team from that No 10 position, and I just want to take a bit of that pressure off Josh Ioane and get him just playing rugby and it’s easier to do that from fullback.”
It’s one of many changes Brown has made to his match day side as the squad prepares for the challenge the winless Wellingtonians are set to impose on their southern rivals.
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After being battered and bruised by a powerful Blues side that have established themselves as genuine title threats, the Highlanders have used their bye week to refresh and recharge.
Over that same period, Brown took the opportunity to survey his options and pinpoint what exactly went wrong in the Dunedin franchise’s lacklustre performance at Eden Park two weeks ago.
He concluded changes needed to be made across the board for this week’s clash – cut the dead weight, retain those who have performed well and hand players who have had limited or no game time a chance to shine.
“Heading into the Blues game, we always wanted to make a few changes and give a few guys some opportunities,” Brown said.
“Obviously it wasn’t the performance we were after, so we made a few changes this week to give some guys that opportunity but bring back some guys who have been performing pretty well.”
All up, those alterations have resulted in seven personnel changes to the starting lineup, and a further six new faces on the bench.
The positional switch of Hunt and Ioane is the most notable of all the changes, but three of the most significant new additions come in the form of lock Pari Pari Parkinson, wing Freedom Vahaakolo and reserve midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen.
The trio all bring with them something that was noticeably absent in not only the defeat to the Blues, but also in the Highlanders’ season-opening loss to the Crusader last month – strength, power and brute force.
The Blues and Crusaders boast the two best forward packs in Super Rugby Aotearoa. The former side has the biggest and most powerful pack in the country, while their backline – starring the likes of Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane – pack a punch too.
The four-time reigning champions, meanwhile, have the most well-drilled forwards in New Zealand and have their own power-based backs through Leicester Fainga’anuku and Dallas McLeod.
An ex-Blues star has called on Ricky Riccitelli to move away from the Wellington franchise to help revive his All Blacks aspirations. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/6uJXlz7Ybp
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It’s no surprise, then, that the Highlanders struggled physically against both teams, which is why Brown has called in Parkinson, Vahaakolo and Umaga-Jensen.
With dimensions of 2.04m and 130kg, Parkinson stands as one of the biggest players in New Zealand and is bound to provide the Highlanders with plenty of steel up front following a long injury battle that saw him undergo a full ankle reconstruction.
Friday’s clash will be his first competitive match since last August, and Brown is hopeful Parkinson will throw his hefty frame around with devastating impact.
“Exciting for us to get Pari back. He’s been rehabbing really well, and he’s someone that we need at the moment around physicality in our forward pack,” Brown said.
Umaga-Jensen, named on the bench and set to face off against his twin brother and Hurricanes reserve midfielder Peter, has gone through a similar journey, as a troublesome shoulder injury has kept him out of Super Rugby action since 2019.
Now fit and firing, the 23-year-old is primed and ready to wreak havoc against the Hurricanes as one of the biggest players in the Highlanders’ backline.
“He’s had some terrible injuries over the last couple of years, so it’s good to get him back out there. He’ll hopefully make a pretty big impact off the bench and I know he’s excited to play his brother,” Brown said.
“Thomas is a big man. I think he’s weighing in at 113kg and he’s fast and got good skills as well, so having a big midfielder like that coming on with 20 to go, hopefully he’s going to get a lot of ball in hand.”
Vahaakolo, on the other hand, has taken a completely different path to get to this stage. After impressing in the Auckland grassroots scene, the 23-year-old moved to Dunedin in a bid to launch his professional career.
Handed an opportunity with Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup, the powerhouse wing excelled in the Kiwi provincial competition and was rewarded with a place in the Highlanders squad as injury cover earlier this year.
Luke Jacobson wants to play a lot more at No 8, and it's hard to see him being denied the opportunity following his efforts early on this season. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/cLgGcZdp8d
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Vahaakolo’s rapid rise will continue this weekend when he makes his Super Rugby Aotearoa debut on the right wing, which is where Brown wants the short but stocky speedster to let rip on the Hurricanes’ defence.
“He’s come down south for an opportunity to play professional rugby and he’s made a pretty good fist of it so far and I think it’s time for him to show everyone what he’s got,” Brown said.
“He’s a power athlete. We’ve got some speed out wide, but we don’t have a lot of power, so we’re hoping he’s going to give us that physicality in the width that we’re after.
“He’s got plenty of X-factor. Hopefully we’ll see it Friday night.”
Vahaakolo will join provincial teammate Jona Nareki as his wing partner, despite concerns regarding the latter’s hip pointer niggle sustained during the Blues loss.
Brown is, however, taking a cautious approach and is waiting on how Nareki progresses through training for the remainder of the week before locking the 23-year-old in for Friday’s match.
Should he fail to prove his fitness, he won’t be replaced in the match day side by either Solomon Alaimalo or Nehe Milner-Skudder, as Brown confirmed both were still on the comeback trail from their respective shoulder injuries.
“He’s a few weeks off coming back in and being at his best. He’s actually a bit unwell at the moment, so we’re not able to select him,” Brown said of Alaimalo.
Of Milner-Skudder, he added: “Nehe’s come off a horrific operation, so he’s not far away, but still not quite there around being able to play Super.
“I think it’s more a case of game time. He just needs a lot more game time and then once he gets confidence in his shoulder and in the contact area, then into the selection conversation.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
2 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
19 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments