Highlanders co-captains both set to bring up major milestones against Hurricanes
The Highlanders co-captains will bring up special milestones against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Inspirational hooker Ash Dixon (Highlander #228) will play his 100th Super Rugby game. He initially represented the Hurricanes before joining the Super Rugby champion Highlanders in 2015. Dixon has been in great form in 2020 and has led from the front in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
“Ash is a humble man who leads by example and has set a good standard for our forwards throughout the competition. We all very proud of his achievement,” said forwards coach Clarke Dermody.
It will be Super game number 150 for Highlander #175 Aaron Smith who recently won the Highlanders Back of the Year, Fans’ Player of the Year and Highlander Man award after displaying some of the best form of his long career during Super Rugby Aotearoa. The extra responsibility of co-captaincy has not weighed heavily on the electric halfbacks’ shoulders. With his signature bullet pass, sniping runs and boundless energy, he has been an integral part of the Highlanders since his arrival in 2011. He is the second most capped Highlander behind his longtime teammate and friend, Ben Smith, who played 153 games for the club.
Assistant coach Tony Brown acknowledged Smith’s contribution to the team: “He loves this team and wants to see this team at the top, and he knows that if we are to get there it’s up to him to drive it, and that’s what he does week after week.”
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Although the game may well be played in an empty stadium, head coach Aaron Mauger was full of praise for the team’s supporters.
“We can’t thank our fans enough for the amazing support they have given us this year, it’s inspiring for the team to know we have the community behind us,” Mauger said.
“We have one last chance to put our game out there on Saturday. We’ll be chasing an eighty-minute effort that our co-captains and the team can be proud of.”
The team has only one change from last week with Taranaki flanker Tom Florence coming onto the bench in place of Jesse Parete. Florence will be making his debut for the Highlanders.
Highlanders: Mitch Hunt, Josh McKay, Michael Collins, Patelesio Tomkinson, Jona Nareki, Josh Ioane, Aaron Smith (cc), Marino Mikaele Tu’u, Dillon Hunt, Shannon Frizell, Jack Whetton, Pari Pari Parkinson, Siate Tokolahi, Ash Dixon (cc), Ayden Johnstone. Reserves: Liam Coltman, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Jeff Thwaites, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Folau Fakatava, Ngatungane Punivai, Tom Florence.
– Highlanders Rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
26 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
26 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
26 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
26 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
26 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
26 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
26 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments