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The Highlanders youngsters Aaron Smith is 'bloody excited' to watch in 2022

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

Following a disrupted 2021 season where he missed a large chunk of the All Blacks campaign due to the arrival of his second child, Highlanders captain Aaron Smith is ready and raring to go for Super Rugby Pacific 2022.

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For the 101-test veteran, the new season begins on Saturday when the Highlanders take on the Chiefs at Wakatipu Rugby Club in Queenstown, a match of which he has been named to start at halfback.

With the dawn of a new campaign comes the usual sense of nerves and optimism, both of which were feelings that Smith portrayed while speaking to media on Thursday.

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Picking the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific champions | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

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Picking the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific champions | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Above all else, though, the 33-year-old was brimming with excitement, and not just for the season that lies ahead for himself.

Smith is also eagerly anticipating the upcoming performances of his younger and less-experienced teammates, many of whom have been named to play alongside him this weekend.

Among those that Smith is keen to see back in action is his fellow halfback Folau Fakatava, the highly-touted All Blacks prospect who will play in his first official match on Saturday since he ruptured his ACL during his side’s win over the Crusaders last April.

Fakatava, who has been named on the bench for the Chiefs match, was well on track to becoming an All Black prior to that injury, but Smith said the Tongan-born 22-year-old has bounced back strongly since returning to the Highlanders camp.

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“It’s great to have Folau back, on and off the field. He’s a good man,” Smith said of Fakatava.

“He’s been around our environment a few years now. The growth I’ve seen in him, physically since his knee injury, he’s come back and you wouldn’t even know it happened. He’s in phenomenal nick.

“I just see our combo being a big part of what our game’s trying to be, playing at speed and control and attacking space for 80 minutes, and having two or three quality No 9s in our squad, that’s what we’ll look to do.

“I’m bloody excited for him to get back on the field. We all know from his last couple of years, he’s got a bright future and I’m excited to see him go and come on and do well for us on the weekend.”

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Given the quality of both halfbacks, the competition between Smith and Fakatava for the No 9 jersey is fierce, even more so considering the contrasting styles of play they both offer.

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In Smith, the Highlanders are blessed with leadership, experience, relentless energy, world-class passing and inch-perfect box-kicking precision.

Fakatava, on the other hand, is renowned for his abrasive nature on either side of the ball and is one of the best attacking halfbacks in New Zealand, leaving Highlanders head coach Tony Brown spoilt for choice.

It means both players have to be at their best throughout the week if they are to start ahead of each other come game day, but Smith said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Got to love competition. You’ve got to thrive under those conditions. Nothing better than having that and, at every level, I have that,” he said.

“I enjoy it, but also knowing [I’ve] got to do what’s right for the team as well, and then obviously just trusting what I can do and just trying to play my style of rugby. We both have different types of games, but that can be a positive impact for our team.

“[I’m] trying to help Folau with things I’m good at, and take things from Folau’s game that I need to work on, but solely staying focussed on what I can control, what I can impact.

“But, he’s become a great leader in our team and, as I said, he’s in a really good space right now.”

Fakatava’s return from injury isn’t the only storyline Smith is excited about leading into his side’s season-opener, which will also act as a chance for young wing Josh Timu to make his Highlanders debut.

The son of former All Blacks and Kiwis cross-code representative John Timu, the 24-year-old was surprisingly named to start on the wing against the Chiefs.

In doing so, Timu will become one of five players – alongside Mosese Dawai, Fetuli Paea, Jermaine Ainsley and Andrew Makalio – who will debut for the Highlanders after having already played Super Rugby for the Sunwolves in 2019.

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Brown was in charge of the former Japanese franchise when he handed Timu his first Super Rugby appearance, and said he was a fan of his high work rate after having impressed as a centre during pre-season outings against the Crusaders and Blues.

“I think they’ve both had a really good pre-season,” the Highlanders boss said of both Timu and Scott Gregory, who has been named to start in the midfield with Paea.

“They’ve probably been the form two midfielders, so we’ve sort of slotted Josh in on the wing to utilise his work-rate and his ability to execute under pressure.

“Both Scott and Josh had great pre-season games as well and were really influential last weekend.”

Smith echoed his coach’s sentiments about Timu as he expressed an eagerness to play alongside the Otago product in his home region.

“He came into our environment as a young man. He’s been away a couple of years, and to see Josh come back, he’s a hell of a player,” Smith said.

“He’s probably one of the fittest guys in our team, his engine, he never stops, and his pound-for-pound physicality, and obviously a local boy as well, from the Otago Lakes District here.

“I talked to him a bit about it yesterday and said it must be pretty cool playing for the Highlanders in where you’re from. I can’t wait to see him go, and he’s really earned this opportunity to play on Saturday. He’s someone to watch. Bright future.”

Smith, Fakatava, Timu and the Highlanders will kick their 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign off at 4:35pm on Saturday.

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A
Adrian 54 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

7 Go to comments
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Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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