'Proved a lot of people wrong': How Aaron Mauger and the Highlanders silenced their doubters
Few people expected the Highlanders to enjoy much success in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Given the way they had performed in the opening rounds of the original iteration of Super Rugby back in February and March, there was little evidence to suggest they could stand as genuine threats in the daunting all-Kiwi competition.
Filled with a squad that was void of much experience and had lost a multitude of key figures from last year’s campaign, their last result prior to Super Rugby Aotearoa kicking off was a 38-13 drubbing at the hands of the Bulls in Pretoria.
That left the Dunedin franchise win just one win from six fixtures as COVID-19 hit, leading some pundits to suggest that they would be lucky to even win a game in the abbreviated New Zealand league.
How wrong those predictions were.
Returning to camp from lockdown in peak physical condition led to an improved effort by the team’s forward pack, who worked in tandem with each other to provide their backline with much cleaner, front-foot ball than they did six months ago.
That handed the likes of Aaron Smith, Mitch Hunt and Josh Ioane a much better platform to attack from, and the reward of that was an often-scintillating brand of rugby – especially in the final fortnight of action.
Saturday’s 38-21 victory over the much-fancied Hurricanes was arguably the best display of rugby the Highlanders had shown all year, with perhaps last week’s effort in a 32-22 defeat to the Crusaders the only other display that could challenge for that mantle.
The win over the Hurricanes in front of an empty Forsyth Barr Stadium was coupled with two last-gasp victories over the Chiefs well before New Zealand re-entered Alert Levels 2 and 3, while there were a raft of close losses.
Maybe if Sio Tomkinson hadn’t been sin binned as the clock ticked into the final quarter of last week’s Crusaders defeat, the Highlanders could have withstood the infamous final 20-minute surge from the Super Rugby Aotearoa champions.
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Similarly, had the Highlanders opted to take a shot at goal to send the game into extra-time rather than go for the jugular with a failed lineout from a last-minute penalty against the Blues in Auckland, we might be re-calling a win instead of a tight 27-24 loss.
However, the fact the Highlanders even won three matches and came within touching distance of further successes, all while playing vastly-improved footy, is indicative of the transformation they underwent between Super Rugby’s three-month lockdown.
“We have proved a lot of people wrong,” Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger said after his side’s win over the Hurricanes on Saturday.
“But we always knew it was in this group, it was just a matter of extracting that out of them and everyone’s played a massive part in that.
“Right from the top down, the support we’ve got around our boys and our coaching group has been outstanding, our support staff have been amazing, our leaders have just led with real courage and led through their actions.
“When you get that part of the equation right, people want to follow, and I think our younger guys have seen the example, and they’ve followed really well and, in turn, they’ve been rewarded with better form and probably a bit more recognition of where they’re at.”
Mauger noted the satisfaction he felt of overseeing the squad’s development over the past year as head coach, which exemplified how far his group of players had come from their season-opening 42-20 thrashing by the Sharks.
The former All Blacks midfielder, whose three-year contract is now up for renewal, added that he believed the lockdown period instilled his playing group with a greater appreciation for both their roles as professional rugby players and life in general.
Solid showings from the Highlanders all-round – especially after they sprung to life in the third quarter of the match. #SuperRugbyAotearoa #HIGvHURhttps://t.co/9cgBtldteY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 15, 2020
“The boys turned up, we were fitter, we were running PBs and that created energy on the first day. It was just a different buzz,” Mauger said.
“I think a big part of that is just what the isolation period and what COVID taught us, to be grateful and make the most of every day, and I think our boys genuinely acknowledge that and understand how lucky they are to be in this environment and they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
“That’s life. We live for every day. I think our boys realised that through COVID, they went and attacked it and it’s been pretty cool to watch that grow and develop and for that to all come together.”
That gelling of the squad and enhanced output on the field has seen an outpour of support from Highlanders fans throughout the region, with Forsyth Barr Stadium averaging attendances of just under 20,000 during Super Rugby Aotearoa.
“I think through our performances this year, it feels like our fans have actually fallen back in love with the team, and that’s what we want,” Mauger said.
“We talked about that, when we’d come back from our isolation period, that we want to make sure our fans are connected to our game, they enjoy the way we play and they walk away with a smile on their face and we’re inspiring the next generation of Highlanders, and I think this team has done that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments