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Injury-riddled Highlanders name team to take on Force

Aaron Smith delivers the ball for the Highlanders. Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images

Sunday afternoon rugby makes a rare appearance on the Highlanders calendar with a game against the Western Force in Invercargill.

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Head Coach Clarke Dermody has brought Andrew Makalio back into the front row for the important clash. In the middle row the youngest member of the squad, Fabian Holland, will partner with the oldest player, and Southland Stag stalwart, Josh Bekhuis. Hugh Renton after a strong game against the Chiefs returns at eight as does Captain Billy Harmon at seven. Wellington tighthead PJ Sheck comes onto the bench for his debut for the injured Saula Ma’u.

The backs division is bolstered by the return from injury of Jonah Lowe, Sam Gilbert and Josh Timu, and a another starting opportunity for Martin Bogado. Folau Fakatava is back from his All Black break and will be keen to continue his impact from the bench. It will be a debut for young pivot Cameron Millar at a ground where he would have watched plenty of rugby while growing up in Gore.

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Coach Dermody knows the team will need to improve to record their first win.

“The start to our season has not been easy.   We acknowledge our performances haven’t been where we want them to be but look forward to showing what we have learnt from our defeats. The Force will be wanting to start a tough tour of New Zealand well no doubt.  However our boys are excited about getting down to Invercargill to play in front of our Southern most fans.”

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Highlanders team to play the Force:

  1. Ethan de Groot
  2. Andrew Makalio
  3. Jermaine Ainsley
  4. Fabian Holland
  5. Josh Bekhuis
  6. Shannon Frizell
  7. Billy Harmon (C)
  8. Hugh Renton
  9. Aaron Smith
  10. Mitch Hunt
  11. Jonah Lowe
  12. Thomas Umaga-Jensen
  13. Josh Timu
  14. Martin Bogado
  15. Sam Gilbert

Reserves: 16. Rhys Marshall 17. Ayden Johnstone 18. P.J.Sheck 19. Max Hicks 20. James Lentjes 21. Folau Fakatava 22. Cameron Millar 23. Connor Garden-Bachop

Not Available due to injury: Vili Koroi (knee) Marty Banks (groin) Jona Nareki (foot) Marino Mikaele Tu’u (ribs) Scott Gregory (knee) Jeff Thwaites (back) Will Tucker (groin) Saula Ma’u (chest) Freddie Burns (knee) Josh Dickson (illness) Paripari Parkinson (Concussion) Mosese Dawai (knee)

Via Press Release/Highlanders Rugby

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fl 1 hour ago
Ex-Wallaby laughs off claims Bath are amongst the best in the world

“Yes I wrote that, because you had Leinster as the best team in the world. What was that based on - winning the URC this season?”

It was based on Leinster’s performances over the course of this season, and on their trophy. If Bordeaux beat Toulouse then I’ll change my mind and move them to first. But as it is I expect Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Leinster to all finish with one trophy each, and with Leinster having produced the best week-on-week performances of the three.


“One of those teams won the league in each of those years so yes they were worse. If I was a fan of either of those four teams I would rather have been a fan of a team that won a trophy than didn’t.”

That’s true - I would too. With regard to Stormers I think their trophy was very much enabled by the fact that they weren’t playing in europe, so were able to rest their players much more than the non-SA teams were so I’m not sure whether I would or wouldn’t consider them to have had a better season than Leinster in 2022, but clearly Munster and Glasgow (respectively) had better seasons than Leinster in 2023 and 2024. But if I was a fan of one of those 3 teams I would rather be a fan of a team that won 66 URC+CC matches over the course of 3 seasons (Leinster) than a team that won 46 (Munster) or 42 (Glasgow). If you think trophies are literally the only thing that matters, do you think Blackburn Rovers are a more successful Premier League team than Tottenham Hotspur are?


“You contradict yourself alot. Trophies matter in one post and in the same post coming second consistently makes you better.”

Its going to get really frustrating if you’re not willing to read what I write. I said: “Trophies matter. They matter a lot. But so does winning games. So does making finals.” How does that contradict my assessment that Leinster were better than Stormers?


“I doubt Leinster would say they have been the better team in any of the seasons you keep going on about.”

Teams generally downplay talk of them being the best, so that wouldn’t surprise me. But crucially I don’t think Leinster were the best team in 2022, or in 2023, or in 2024, so I’m not sure what you think you’re responding to.


“Lets make it clear though - you are the one who went on and on about previous seasons with your deep dive into la Rochelle and Stormers etc.”

Yeah - I did that because you brought up Leinster’s trophyless record from 2022-2024, so I thought that was worth responding to. If you’d like though I can stop responding to the things you say?

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