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The three players capable of changing the Highlanders' fortunes in Super Rugby Aotearoa
It’s been three months since Super Rugby – or any kind of professional rugby, for that matter – took place.
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That’s a long time between drinks, but that’s all set to change this week when the highly-anticipated Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign kicks-off this weekend under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
It’s there where the Highlanders will have the unenviable task of playing hosts to the Chiefs, who were high-flyers in Super Rugby before its suspension 13 weeks ago.
With the likes of Aaron Cruden, Damian McKenzie and Brad Weber pulling the strings in the backline, and Lachlan Boshier and Aidan Ross providing serious grunt up front, Warren Gatland’s men were sitting in fifth spot with four wins from six outings before the action was brought to a halt.
In stark comparison, the Highlanders were lagging behind in 11th place, securing just one victory from six matches.
That’s left the southerners considered serious underdogs to even challenge for the New Zealand domestic crown, with the TAB paying an incredible $31 for them to emerge as champions at the time of writing.
No doubt the most optimistic punters will take their chances with those odds, but they’ll be hoping for vast improvements from a side that badly underfired in the opening rounds of the original competition.
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Many onlookers targeted the blame for the Highlanders’ lacklustre start towards the decision to play All Blacks first-five Josh Ioane out of his regular position to accomodate new recruit Mitch Hunt.
Instead, Ioane was fielded at No. 12 in every match he played between February and March, with the franchise eager to deploy a dual playmaking axis in the five-eighth positions as they endeavoured to shift the ball wide quickly and early.
The old adage of ‘earning the right to go wide’ rang true, though, as the Highlanders frequently leaked tries through interceptions or misplaced passes in defeats to the Sharks, Crusaders, Rebels and Bulls.
The extended time off has given head coach Aaron Mauger and his assistants plenty of time to reflect, reassess and make amendments to their game plan leading into the new competition.
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That has led to the decision to reinstate Ioane back in the No. 10 jersey, where he flourished and earned a maiden All Blacks call-up last year.
One-test All Blacks first-five Josh Ioane's midfield experiment for the Highlanders is over.https://t.co/tIiTL5yis0
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 27, 2020
In doing so, however, Mauger issued a stern warning to his squad’s forward pack, who he believes made Hunt’s task of guiding his team around the park a difficult one.
“I think Mitch Hunt probably copped a lot of flak through that period that was unjust,” Mauger said last month.
“When your forward pack’s on the front foot, the game’s a whole lot easier and we didn’t provide that as a pack, so we made our No. 9’s and No. 10’s job really hard in that early part of the season, so all the things we know Mitch is capable of as a class fly-half he wasn’t able to always deliver.”
“The challenge for us is to make sure our pack’s firing, and that’s where we’ve put a bit of accountability on those boys.”
For all the benefits that the Highlanders are set to reap from Ioane’s shift back to first-five from the midfield, that hasn’t been the biggest talking point of the coronavirus-enforced lay-off for the Dunedin club.
That mantle belongs to All Blacks wing Nehe Milner-Skudder, who was a shock signing as injury cover for the likes of Connor Garden-Bachop, Thomas Umaga-Jensen and the injury-cursed Tevita Nabura last month.
The 13-test World Cup-winning star joins the club after a deal with French side Toulon fell through due to the ongoing rehabilitation of a problematic shoulder.
The former Hurricanes flyer’s inclusion in the squad will add both excitement and experience to a team that is lacking the latter attribute following the exodus of an array of long-serving players last year, as well as their skipper James Lentjes, who succumbed to a season-ending injury against the Rebels.
The outside back department was hit particularly hard, with Ben Smith and Waisake Naholo among those to have departed, so the addition of both Milner-Skudder and All Blacks Sevens star Vilimoni Koroi will be warmly welcomed.
The postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until next year has allowed Koroi to come into the side a season earlier than expected after the 22-year-old signed a three-year deal with the club that was set to commence in 2021.
“It’s awesome to have a few new faces in after the break,” Highlanders midfielder Teihorangi Walden said last month.
“Those boys coming into our environment have added a lot already. Skudz and Vils, they’re awesome, they’re electric on the field and they’ve definitely added into our environment already and I’m sure they’ve got plenty more to offer too.”
That means there will be plenty of competition for places in the outside backs, with Jona Nareki, Josh McKay, Michael Collins Tima Fainga’anuku, Ngane Punivai, Scott Gregory and Chris Kuridrani also vying for starting spots in the back three.
“It’s good, though, that stuff,” Collins told RugbyPass of the fight on his hands to retain his place at fullback last week.
“That’s going to bring out the best in everyone in those positions, so even if you’re not playing, you realise you’ve got to step up every training.
“I think it’s pretty exciting, it’s already created a lot of buzz, so those two [Milner-Skudder and Koroi] are going to do pretty well.”
Milner-Skudder’s involvement in Saturday’s clash against the Chiefs remains unlikely as he continues to work through his shoulder issues, while whether Koroi takes part remains to be seen.
Either way, Mauger is upbeat about his side’s chances in front of what’s set to be a packed crowd this weekend.
“The Chiefs, they’re high on energy, obviously got a good buzz in their environment, they’ve played some good footy,” he said.
“They’re a pretty dangerous side. They’ve got some threats. Damian McKenzie’s in good form, Aaron Cruden has been outstanding for them in those early rounds, so I’m sure they’ll be looking to pick up where they left.
“They like to keep the ball alive, that’s certainly some parts of their game that we’ve looked at, so I’m sure we can expect the same, especially when they come down here under the roof, they’ll be excited about playing with dry ball – as will we.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
44 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
1 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
44 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
44 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
44 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to comments