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'It's a huge blow': Highlanders injury woes continue as date is set for Japan star Kazuki Himeno's debut
The Highlanders have been hit with another injury blow, losing midfielder Fetuli Paea for the season due to a high ankle sprain sustained in a pre-season match against the Hurricanes last week.
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Head coach Tony Brown confirmed the news while speaking to media shortly after the Highlanders team to play the Crusaders this weekend was announced on Wednesday.
“He’s got a high ankle sprain and needs an operation, so unfortunately Fetuli’s out for the year, which is frustrating for him and, for us, it’s a huge blow,” Brown said.
“He was going great and he was fitting into both our attack and defence well, and in the environment, he was starting to be a real leader, so we’ll have to get him back in there next year.”
Paea was a standout for the Dunedin franchise across both of their pre-season games against the Crusaders and Hurricanes, but Brown will now have to make do without the two-test Tongan international, who was a new signing from the Crusaders.
The news of Paea’s loss comes just a week after the Highlanders confirmed three-test Wallabies prop Jermaine Ainsley, another new recruit from the Melbourne Rebels, is also out for the season after suffering the same injury during training.
Brown said no injury replacement has yet been decided, but he has called on another former Crusader in Ngatungane Punivai to cover for Paea’s absence in the No. 13 jersey.
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The 22-year-old will pair up with Patelesio Tomkinson in the midfield against Crusaders duo Dallas McLeod and Jack Goodhue, but Brown said it was a tight call between Punivai and Michael Collins to fill Paea’s boots.
That positional battle was one of many Brown and his coaching group faced when selecting their side for Friday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa season-opener.
“I thought the outside backs were a tough selection, and then also at centre once Fetuli was out injured,” Brown said.
“I think both Michael and Ngane have done a good job there, so that was a tough selection, and then in the forwards, there’s the loose forwards with Jimmy [Lentjes] coming back from injury, at lock with [Manaaki] Selby-Rickit.
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“We’ve got a lot more depth than we’ve had in the past, so it’s exciting for us as a coaching team to go through those selection dilemmas and making sure we nail that final 23.”
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One player who didn’t come into consideration was Japan’s World Cup star Kazuki Himeno, who left his managed isolation facility on Monday following two weeks in quarantine after arriving in New Zealand.
Brown and his assistants maintained throughout pre-season that the 26-year-old would be unavailable for the first match of the season due to a lack of match fitness.
However, Brown revealed Himeno will be available for the round three clash against the Blues in Auckland on March 14.
“He’s going to need a couple of weeks, two weeks to get himself physically conditioned for Super Rugby, and then we’ll look to see if he can enter our selection discussions.”
Once he returns to action, Himeno is set to go head-to-head with Shannon Frizell, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u and Liam Squire for places in the match day side at blindside flanker and No. 8.
Frizell and Mikaele-Tu’u have both been handed starting duties this week, with Squire set to kick-off his second stint with the Highlanders from the bench after recovering from an injury niggle throughout pre-season.
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Brown has full confidence in Squire’s fitness, but made note of the fact Friday’s match will be the 29-year-old’s first in over 12 months.
“100 percent confident in Liam, but he’s only playing his first game in over a year, so we just want to get him started and I’m sure he’ll be a little bit nervous, but the boys love having him in the side and I’m sure he’s going to impact the game well.”
Elsewhere, the selection of Mitch Hunt at No. 10 ahead of Josh Ioane will have raised some eyebrows, but Brown said both players had performed well in recent weeks and that Ioane has the potential win the game as an impact player.
As for new fullback Solomon Alaimalo, Brown said the pure talent of the former Chiefs flyer was enough to secure him the No. 15 jersey, despite emphasising the importance of the playmaking role in that position late last year.
“I think he needs a lot more developing in that role, but his X-factor and his ability on the rugby field is why we’ve put him there, so we’re hoping for a lot of that on Friday night and then we’ll keep building his game around being able to be that second playmaker.”
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I hope WRU cops a 12 month ban.
1 Go to commentsOuch. Pumped. Even Nohamba is a better flyhalf than Ford.
2 Go to commentsI hope Leinster’s proud of themselves fielding a poor team. They should decide if they’re all in or not.
2 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
25 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
6 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to comments