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Highlanders looking to keep season alive versus Moana Pasifika
By Ben Smith
Highlanders co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai is back in the midfield as his team prepares to host Moana Pasifika on Sunday afternoon in Dunedin.
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The star of the Highlanders backline this season, Tavatavanawai leads the competition with 16 breakdown turnovers after 10 games.
Elsewhere in the back line, recently re-signed Folau Fakatava will play from the bench this week, with young halfback Nathan Hastie getting the chance to start at No.9. He will partner Otago teammate Cam Miller in the halves.
Up front there are minimal changes with Oli Haig getting a chance to start at lock while co-captain Hugh Renton returns to No.8.
Prop Rohan Wingham makes his first appearance in the game day squad for the season from the bench replacing the injured Sosefo Kautai.
The Highlanders have never lost to Moana, winning all five of their contests so far. A win on Sunday is crucial for the Highlanders hopes, currently in 10th place.
A win while denying any bonus points would propel Jamie Joseph’s team over Moana on the ladder, with three competition points between them.
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Highlanders team to play Moana Pasifika:
1. Ethan de Groot
2. Soane Vikena
3. Saula Ma’u
4. Fabian Holland
5. Oliver Haig
6. Te Kamaka Howden
7. Sean Withy
8. Hugh Renton (cc)
9. Nathan Hastie
10. Cameron Millar
11. Jonah Lowe
12. Timoci Tavatavanawai (cc)
13. Thomas Umaga-Jensen
14. Sam Gilbert
15. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
Reserves
16. Jack Taylor
17. Josh Bartlett
18. Rohan Wingham
19. Mitch Dunshea
20. Veveni Lasaqa
21. Folau Fakatava
22. Taine Robinson
23. Jake Te Hiwi
Injury update: Caleb Tangitau (Groin 1-2 weeks), Tanielu Tele’a (Hamstring 1-2 weeks), Jona Nareki (Knee 1-2 Weeks), Sosefo Kautai (Neck 1-2 weeks), Nikora Broughton (Knee MCL 4-6 weeks), Finn Hurley (Quad – Season End), Hayden Michaels (Hamstring – Season End), Ajay Faleafaga (Broken hand – Season End), James Arscott (Shoulder – TBC).
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It’s interesting that no-one seems to share my concern abut Fabian Holland playing again the week after failing an HIA. What if he gets another knock this week?
At one level I can understand why JJ feels compelled to put him out there again - the Highlanders lack depth, which leads to desperate, seemingly heartless decisions, like the Holland one above, and also having to pick the young tight-head Ma’u for constant humiliation game after game.
Imagine if the NZR instituted a draft policy, or even a player loan structure, as in professional football, which would alleviate the stock-piling that is endemic to the better-off clubs.
It’d surely be a win-win if players who are ready for more minutes in Super Rugby, like Taylor Cahill at the Crusaders, or Rakete-Stones (with the rise of Mafileo at loosehead) and Sione Lauaki at the Canes, but who are not likely to get much playing time behind lines of established talent, could be loaned out for a season to the Highlanders. SR would benefit by being more competitive - we’ve all been delighted at the Oz resurgence this year - and the clubs that loaned these players out would get them back as seasoned experienced contributors (particularly if they’d had a season or two with JJ).
The sad fact is that the Highlanders have been exposed again after promising beginnings because they simply don’t have the resources. And players’ health is being compromised as a result, as they play out a now meaningless season for ‘pride’..
Isn’t it time for the NZR to step in and correct the loaded dice?
Right. NZR have had better head protocol for decades now, so I have faith they know what theyre doing, were WR with it’s ‘policies’ seems to have no clue.
For instance, with their HIA process, I’m pretty sure you’re a ‘fail’ if you admit to any sign of abnormal affect, like say “a hearing problem”, or his mouth gaurd registering etc (it doesn’t automatically mean he couldn’t answer/think through the questions right), so without any further effects they might have thought the cause of the “fail” unrelated to a concussion?
Certainly Dunedin and Queenstown are lovely places so I’m not sure, as an outsider, why players are reluctant to come to the highlanders. I agree with a sharing system because I see the SR clubs as made up random entities (for the most part), but if you’re looking from within they see themselves as a true “club”, so even a team like the Highlanders might be reluctant to have things introduced that treat them as just a cog on the wheel for selecting All Blacks.
Poor old Jamie has gone into the usual panic-mode of chopping and changing until something sticks.
Tavatavanawai really is being messed around with. No wonder his form is sliding.
Same with Clayton. Not an identical team all year.
How can Fabian Holland be named after failing HIA at the weekend? This young man is being driven into the ground by JJ’s bad recruitment over the summer. This is reckless!