Pumas enforcer among new faces named for Highlanders vs Crusaders

Ex-Pumas lock Tomás Lavanini headlines the Highlanders’ team sheet for the club’s first preseason match of the year against the Crusaders in Timaru.

The 33-year-old enforcer is one of a handful of new recruits set to line up for the Southerners, joined by breakthrough NPC star Lucas Casey, All Blacks Sevens speedster Xavier Tito-Harris, New Zealand U20 star Stanley Solomon, ex-All Black Angus Ta’avao and former Western Force playmaker Reesjan Pasitoa.

The teams will swap out almost entirely at halftime, with quarter-time breaks after 20 and 60 minutes. Will Stoddart will captain the team in the first half, before Jack Taylor adopts the captain’s armband in the second half.

While Ta’avao is the only capped All Black in the mix for the Highlanders, the team is flush with rising stars. 2025 All Blacks XV selectees Caleb Tangitau, Jack Taylor and Te Kamaka Howden are set to feature, while the likes of Adam Lennox, Cameron Millar, Veveni Lasaqa and Nikora Broughton will be looking to build on stellar 2025 NPC campaigns.

First 40 Team

1. Josh Bartlett
2. Soane Vikena
3. Sefo Kautai
4. Tai Cribb
5. Tomás Lavanini
6. Oliver Haig
7. Lucas Casey
8. Will Stodart (C)
9. Adam Lennox
10. Cameron Millar
11. Xavier Tito-Harris
12. Meihana Grindlay
13. Tanielu Tele’a
14. Caleb Tangitau
15. Stanley Solomon

Second 40 Team

1. Rohan Wingham
2. Jack Taylor (C)
3. Angus Ta’avao
4. Josh Tengblad
5. Tai Cribb
6. Te Kamaka Howden
7. Veveni Lasaqa
8. Nikora Broughton
9. Nic Shearer
10. Reesjan Pasitoa
11. Josh Whaanga
12. Tayne Harvey
13. Jonah Lowe
14. Stanley Solomon
15. Taine Robinson
16. Henry Bell