The mongrel men that make the Highlanders great
On Saturday the Highlanders reigned victorious over the Crusaders in the southern derby; Scotty Stevenson explores the metaphysical reasons why they beat the old foes from up the road.
Dan Pryor stood on the concrete concourse of Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday night wearing a faded Swanndri and approximately fourteen kilograms of dreadlocks. In his left hand was a beer; on his face was his trademark goofy grin. He was not fully recovered from his latest injury so had volunteered his time to mingle with staff from a Highlanders corporate sponsor who had booked the Eastern end of the stadium for the evening’s clash with the Crusaders.
In many respects, Dan Pryor was as far removed as possible from the people with whom he chatted so effortlessly. For starters, few were Maori. Even fewer knew the fishing spots of Northland. None, one suspects, could have claimed to have played the best part of two seasons of professional rugby with most of the functional tendons of a knee pretty much missing.
And yet here he was, in every other sense right at home, surrounded by his people. If the Highlanders have one thing that no other team can replicate, it is the total buy-in of the players to the distinctly southern culture of the region. They may come from all corners of the country, but once in Dunedin, they are all of Dunedin. In that moment, just before kick off as the sun began to sink and the zoo began to fill, Dan Pryor was the most Highlanders thing of all: a local.
History will record a Highlanders win in the match that followed that moment. They harangued and harried the Crusaders, they ran unorthodox attack lines and trailed in the wake of Tevita Li as he craved through transition defensive lines. They willed the ball to bounce their way, coached the referee, pushed every envelope and crossed all imaginary lines. And with every big hit, and forced error, and turnover play, and dominant tackle, they patted each other on the back and watched Aaron Smith howl at the moon.
Ruby Tui, a savagely effective defensive juggernaut for the Black Ferns sevens team, called the Highlanders forwards “a pack of wolves”. They smell blood, stalk their prey, tear into any carcass that comes their way. And they do it with a consistency and sense of purpose that is frankly frightening. They have made 152 tackles per game so far this season. No team has made more. More impressive still: they have the best tackle percentage in the competition.
It is often said that defence is about attitude. If that is the case, the Highlanders truly love tackling. They also love scrummaging. In fact, it could be said they love anything that involves a collective effort. That includes chasing kicks, and disrupting lineouts, and winning turnovers, which they do with more regularity than all but a handful of teams. And they win them at crucial times – Ash Dixon to stymie a traditional Crusaders’ fourth quarter comeback, for instance. Ash Dixon, who is about as Dunedin as a warm ocean, but as Highlanders as they get.
Just like Dillon Hunt, the former Westlake College boy who came of age last year and who last Saturday made 17 tackles while going largely unnoticed by the paying public. Just like Luke Whitelock who drove south five hours from Christchurch and somehow turned into the hardest tackling number eight in the competition. If he left Canterbury with a chip on his shoulder he has spent the last two years burying it in so many rib cages.
There are others, like Tevita Li who managed to post 134 running metres on Saturday, invariably leaving would-be tacklers trailing (flailing?) in his wake. This is Tevita Li from Massey on the Western edge of North Harbour. He may as well have been raised in a swede patch in Springhills, such is the perfection of his fit in this team. Aaron Smith and Lima Sopoaga? We know they’re Highlanders through and through, from Wellington and Manawatu.
On the bench that night was Alex Ainley, from Tasman, and Joe Wheeler from Boomtown who is so in tune with the place the Highlanders wanted him back for morale. He isn’t even playing. He’s just, you know, there.
They are 3-0 to start the season. Their best start since 2015, the year they won their maiden title when Marty Banks slotted a dropped goal in the final against the team that spat him out the year before. Marty fucken Banks. They face the Hurricanes again this week, away from Forsyth Barr and the zoo and the aftermath at the Lone Star. It will likely be the craziest game of the round. No, it definitely will be.
On Saturday night at full time, Dan Pryor wandered away from his mingling role and stood on the middle of the field chatting to his victorious team mates, still smiling, looking right at home with this mongrel bunch in blue and gold and maroon. Meanwhile, Aaron Mauger, Glenn Delaney and Mark Hammett each cracked a stubby of Speight’s in the coaches box and toasted the victory. All three men are Cantabrians. but that was the most Highlanders thing of all.
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
39 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo 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.
39 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.
3 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
39 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 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
39 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.
39 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. 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.
39 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.
39 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.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments