Back 
1
Under-fire All Blacks star absent as Highlanders make raft of changes for Reds clash
By Alex McLeod
The Highlanders will be without under-fire All Blacks star Shannon Frizell for their opening Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash against the Reds in Dunedin on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Frizell made headlines earlier this week after he was allegedly involved in an assault on a women at a Dunedin bar in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The 27-year-old, who was arguably the best player for the Highlanders throughout Super Rugby Aotearoa, has subsequently missed out on selection for this week’s side to face the newly-crowned Super Rugby AU champions.
In his place comes young loose forward Hugh Renton, who comes into the side at blindside flanker as one of six alterations to the starting side that lost to the Hurricanes in Wellington a fortnight ago.
The Highlanders have also welcomed back enormous lock Pari Pari Parkinson, who has been out of action since April 10 when he re-injured the same ankle he had surgery on last year during his side’s extra-time defeat to the Chiefs in Dunedin.
Parkinson, who has a physical frame of 2.04m and 130kg, partners with Josh Dickson in the second row, while Ayden Johnstone replaces the highly-promising Ethan de Groot at loosehead prop.
In the backline, Michael Collins, who was recently announced as a new signing for Welsh PRO14 side Ospreys, has been named in the starting XV for the first time in six weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
His inclusion at centre has forced a positional re-shuffle, with Patelesio Tomkinson moving to the right wing, which has forced youngster Sam Gilbert to fullback in place of former All Blacks star Nehe Milner-Skudder, who misses out altogether.
Of those who started against the Hurricanes in their final Super Rugby Aotearoa clash, De Groot and lock Bryn Evans have been demoted to the bench, while there are two further new additions in the reserves.
Young outside back Ngatungane Punivai returns from a quadricep injury to be named in the No. 23 jersey, while Tasman first-five Tim O’Malley, who has come into the side as injury cover, could make his Super Rugby debut.
Kick-off for Friday’s clash at Forsyth Barr Stadium is scheduled for 7:05pm [NZT].
Highlanders team to face the Reds
1. Ayden Johnstone
2. Ash Dixon (co-c)
3. Siate Tokolahi
4. Pari Pari Parkinson
5. Josh Dickson
6. Hugh Renton
7. Billy Harmon
8. Kazuki Himeno
9. Aaron Smith (co-c)
10. Mitch Hunt
11. Jona Nareki
12. Scott Gregory
13. Michael Collins
14. Patelesio Tomkinson
15. Sam Gilbert
ADVERTISEMENT
Reserves:
16. Liam Coltman
17. Ethan de Groot
18. Josh Hohneck
19. Bryn Evans
20. James Lentjes
21. Kayne Hammington
22. Tim O’Malley
23. Ngatungane Punivai
Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:
Comments
Join free and tell us what you really think!
Join Free
Latest Comments
Oh what glorious insight into the psychology of this prophet, madman, con artist, devil? Two lies just in the title alone—what a veritable Sherlock Holmes we have here (because verily I tell you no one in the history of humanity has ever substituted the word “chat” for how that abomination of desolation named Erasmus has done—out of curiosity, what should he call it: “one man on video talking at those watch?”; and, I’m aghast and agog, how he didn’t time stamp appropriately—lock the narcissist manipulator up!!). The truth, DG, y’all love Rassie because he gives some ostensible (pseudo)meaning to your rather pointless jobs as “journalists” who basically, though not in every case, rehearse the same tropes and cliches in every article you write. Stop trying to be a private dick like Jake Gittes, you don’t have the sense of irony nor the slicked back hair for it.
Go to commentsWait a second, this is the third article moaning about the referee's decisions for the Bok-Eng game. I thought you guys were ok with refereeing mistakes as it was all part of the game? Why are you complaining so much?
Go to comments