Highlanders continue squad overhaul following All Blacks exodus with three new signings
The Highlanders continue to make waves in the Super Rugby transfer market with the announcement of Otago trio Vilimoni Koroi, Michael Collins and Sione Misiloi as their three newest signings.
Otago captain Collins and loose forward Misiloi have both signed one-year deals for the upcoming 2020 season, while Koroi has signed a three-year contract which will commence in 2021, allowing him to chase a gold medal at next year’s Tokyo Olympics with the All Blacks Sevens.
The utility back, who can cover first-five, wing and fullback, has played a key role since debuting for the national sevens side as an 18-year-old in February 2017.
Earlier this year, all five of New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises were allocated one spot on their rosters to sign a player who would be exempt from partaking in the majority of the 2020 Super Rugby campaign to pursue their Olympic ambitions.
Koroi would have qualified for that place in the squad, but young Northland fullback Scott Gregory, whose signing was announced last month, has already taken it.
The @Highlanders have confirmed their first new signing of the Super Rugby off-season after being hit hard by the post-World Cup exodus.https://t.co/qpDec56Qzj
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 16, 2019
It means the Highlanders will largely be without both Koroi and Gregory until the year after next, but they, and ex-Blues fullback Collins, were necessary signings following a raft of departures from this year’s side.
Headlining the exodus were outside back duo Ben Smith and Waisake Naholo, who are set to play for Pau and London Irish, respectively, in the 2019/20 Top 14 and Premiership seasons in France and England.
The losses of Matt Faddes (Ulster), Richard Buckman (Kobelco Steelers) and Tevita Li (Suntory Sungoliath) left Josh McKay and Tevita Nabura – who hasn’t played for the Highlanders since being sent off for a flying kick to Cam Clark’s face against the Waratahs in May last year – as the club’s only outside backs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BywXmqkgtTg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
However, the additions of Koroi and Gregory add depth to a group of untested, yet young and promising, group of signings in the outside backs.
Shortly after the announcement of Gregory’s arrival, the Highlanders announced a further four signings, including exciting outside back trio Jona Nareki, Ngane Punivai and Connor Garden-Bachop.
Crusaders playmaker Mitch Hunt was the other player announced to be making the shift south to Dunedin, and with four seasons of Super Rugby experience with the three-peat champions behind him, both he and Collins will be expected to provide leadership in the backline.
The arrival of Collins is a homecoming of sorts, as the 26-year-old was born and raised in Otago, and has played for the province since 2012.
He was a regular selection in the Blues’ No. 15 jersey under the stewardship of Tana Umaga in his first two season at Super Rugby level.
An ongoing groin injury and the arrival of Leon MacDonald as head coach this year saw him fall out of favour, though, as new Worcester Warriors signing Melani Nanai was instead used as the preferred option.
The addition of the hard-nosed Misiloi – whose rise to professionalism began in 2016 when he first turned out for North Otago in the amateur Heartland Championship – is also a much-needed one in the forward pack.
A plethora of forwards have joined Smith, Naholo, Faddes, Buckman, Li and first-five Marty Banks (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes) in leaving the franchise for greener pastures.
All Blacks loose forwards Liam Squire (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes), Luke Whitelock (Pau) and Elliot Dixon (Ricoh Black Rams) won’t return next year, nor will one-test prop Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes), five-test lock/loose forward Jackson Hemopo (Mitsubishi DynaBoars), veteran second rower Tom Franklin (Kobelco Steelers) or experienced prop Aki Seiuli (Glasgow Warriors).
Securing the signature of 24-year-old Misiloi is important for the Highlanders, as he acts as a like-for-like replacement for Hemopo in being able to cover both lock and the back row.
The franchise had been looking at promising young Southland lock Manaaki Selby-Rickett as an acquisition for next year, but an assault charge has been laid against him following an incident that left a man with a fractured jaw.
He will appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday, and will reappear on October 1, where he will enter a plea, leaving his place in the squad in jeopardy.
The Highlanders begin their 2020 Super Rugby campaign against the Sharks at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on February 7.
Highlanders 2019-20 transfers
In: Michael Collins (Blues/Otago), Connor Garden-Bachop (Wellington), Scott Gregory (Northland/NZ Sevens), Mitch Hunt (Crusaders/Tasman), Vilimoni Koroi (Otago/NZ Sevens – contract begins 2021), Sione Misiloi (Otago), Jona Nareki (Otago/NZ Sevens), Ngane Punivai (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Out: Marty Banks (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes), Richard Buckman (Kobelco Steelers), Elliot Dixon (Ricoh Black Rams), Matt Faddes (Ulster), Tom Franklin (Kobelco Steelers), Jackson Hemopo (Mitsubishi DynaBoars), Tevita Li (Suntory Sungoliath), Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes), Aki Seiuli (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Smith (Pau), Liam Squire (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes), Luke Whitelock (Pau)
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Comments on RugbyPass
A Springbok 2-0 win: haha told you we were champions now shut up An Irish 2-0 win: the referee was under orders from world rugby to cheat us but luckily we don’t care because this is part of Rassie’s grand world Cup plan.
101 Go to commentsI hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
5 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
5 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
5 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
101 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
101 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
101 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
101 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
101 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
101 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
101 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
101 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to comments