The Jamie Joseph factor kicking in for Highlanders
The Highlanders are riding pretty in sixth place on the Super Rugby Pacific table after three rounds of the competition, having claimed two wins and a tight loss.
Expectations for the Highlanders this year weren’t particularly high given the team’s youth, with club legend Aaron Smith among a cast of 16 players to leave the club at the end of the 2023 campaign.
In their place has come an ensemble of exciting youngsters both through the club’s recently established high-performance program and by way of recruitment, the latter of which is now the responsibility of the new Head of Rugby, Jamie Joseph.
Joseph, the recent Japan head coach who previously led the Highlanders to their first-ever championship, returned to the club following the Rugby World Cup and has quickly instilled his values.
“We want to live at a high standard,” Highlanders captain Billy Harmon told 1News. “We want to be the best in the comp so that’s where we see our standards.”
“If you’re not there, then you’ll know about it.”
Harmon himself found that out the hard way in last week’s round three fixture when he and fellow flanker Sean Withy were dropped from the starting unit for being late to a team meeting. Ethan de Groot stepped up as captain in Harmon’s absence.
The disruption of the starting unit didn’t stop the Highlanders from claiming a tight win against a Waratahs outfit desperate to prove their previous win over the defending champion Crusaders was no fluke.
Joseph’s contributions to the positive results have not been overlooked.
“He’s been massive but he’s not in front of the team too much, his role is more helping the coaches set up their week and how they’re going to go about things. What he does is just challenge the coaches to get more from the players.”
The team had some extra motivation for hard training this week ahead of a date with the Brumbies, with new All Blacks coaches Leon MacDonald, Jason Holland and Jason Ryan in Dunedin watching over the preparations.
“Any time the All Blacks coaches come in there’s a lift in intensity,” said coach Clarke Dermody. “The boys have a bit more purpose about what they’re doing.”
The team boast just one current All Black in prop Ethan de Groot, but Dermody is a glass-half-full kind of coach.
While other teams were spending months of pre-season without key squad members present due to All Blacks rest protocols, the Highlanders were putting in the hard yards with just one shy of the full complement. That extra bonding time has paid off.
“It’s the benefit of not having a team of All Blacks. We had our squad training together for three months so we managed to start the season in a good spot around our fitness and we’ve changed things with how we train.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Tamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
1 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to comments