'We're absolutely gutted for him' - How Waisake Naholo and the Highlanders intend to bounce back
Injured All Blacks and Highlanders wing Waisake Naholo has a big job ahead of him when he returns to full fitness in six weeks’ time.
The 27-year-old has been ruled out of action for about a month-and-a-half with a grade two MCL injury, denting both his World Cup selection hopes and the Highlanders’ chances of making the Super Rugby play-offs.
Already without key halfback Aaron Smith for about a month, it hasn’t helped the 10th-placed Highlanders that Naholo has been struggling for form so far this year, failing to find the tryline from four appearances and struggling to implement the game-breaking style of play that his reputation has been built upon.
His try-scoring drought and lack of impact with ball in hand has led to suggestions by many that he is now an outside chance of making Steve Hansen’s 31-man World Cup squad for Japan, and with just four regular-season matches left after his scheduled return, there seems to be little time for Naholo to build his case for selection.
While such an untimely injury would be the downfall of most players just five months out from a World Cup, Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger believes that Naholo’s exuberant positivity should allow him to make a statement with the minimal time he has on his side.
“He’s actually coping pretty well,” Mauger told RugbyPass of how Naholo was handling the news of his knee injury.
“We’re very disappointed for him. He would have started this week if he was available.
“We back Wise 100 percent, he’s one of the most lethal finishers in the game, and one of the best wingers in this competition, so we’re absolutely gutted for him, but he’s handled it well and he’s positive as normal.
“You normally see Wise with a big smile on his face, so he walked through the door this morning with that same smile, so he can only control what’s ahead of him now, which is to get himself right, look after it, and hopefully he’ll be back on the field.”
Mauger revealed that Naholo’s lack of impact in the opening seven weeks of Super Rugby hasn’t been through a lack of trying to get him involved, and suggested that it could take just a single play from any given game to swing form and momentum back in his star wing’s favour.
“He’s a quality man and a quality rugby player, and it’s just reminding him of that, and when he plays his best footy, he plays with a smile on his face and he plays with freedom,” Mauger said.
“I think he just needs to touch the ball really.
“We’ve had plans to get the ball to him, and teams we’ve played against have tried to negate that, and sometimes that’s just the nature of being a winger.
“Tevita [Li] had plenty of touches up in Auckland [in their last match against the Blues], created some opportunities for Wise, [but] didn’t quite execute.
“He’s not far away, it’ll take just one action and his game will click and he’ll be away.”
Mauger confirmed that no reinforcements have been called in to replace Naholo during his six-week layoff, despite there being no replacement for fellow injured outside back Tevita Nabura, who has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
No squad replacement will need to be made in the midfield, though, as Rob Thompson returns to the matchday squad for the Highlanders’ derby clash with the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday.
Named on the bench behind a new-look midfield partnership of Tei Walden and Richard Buckman, this week’s match will be Thompson’s first since his side’s 36-31 win over the Reds in February, where he sustained a match-ending ankle injury inside the first 20 minutes.
That match was both the Highlanders’ last home match and their last victory, so after three successive defeats and a match cancellation, Mauger is hopeful the 27-year-old can provide some much-needed impetus off the pine after an extended but largely unsuccessful midfield partnership run between Sio Tomkinson and Thomas Umaga-Jensen.
“It’s great to have Bobby back in the mix,” Mauger said.
“He’s worked extremely hard over the last few weeks since he first hurt his ankle, so he’ll come on towards the backend of the game.
“It was touch-and-go whether we had a look at potentially starting him. I think Thomas and Sio were two unlucky guys that miss out and have done a fantastic job and we’ve seen a lot of growth between those boys through the year as well, so it’s a competitive position, like all other positions, but that’s what we want in this team.
“It’s only good for us because those boys can keep challenging each other and bring out the best.”
Highlanders team to play the Hurricanes: 1. Ayden Johnstone, 2. Liam Coltman, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Josh Dickson, 5. Tom Franklin, 6. Shannon Frizell, 7. James Lentjes, 8. Luke Whitelock (cc), 9. Kayne Hammington, 10. Marty Banks, 11. Tevita Li, 12. Tei Walden, 13. Richard Buckman, 14. Matt Faddes, 15. Ben Smith (cc)
Reserves: 16. Ash Dixon, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Siate Tokolahi, 19. Jackson Hemopo, 20. Elliot Dixon, 21. Folau Fakatava, 22. Josh Ioane, 23. Rob Thompson
Aaron Mauger’s full press conference ahead of Hurricanes:
Comments on RugbyPass
Dont know if the Irish players said it or not, but lets all be honest with ourselves, and hopefully both the Irish and French have healed by now, the Media did jump the gun, be realistic, according to 90% of the media it was a France and Ireland final, and the media had 1 of them winning the world cup, not even mentioning the All blacks? Just remember world cups are different, Australia was not the most in form cricket tean in the last cricket world cup, but they have a nack of winning when it matters. I wont go into whether what Etzabeth is saying is true, all I am saying is that its very easy for a team to get ahead of themselves due to the media. Nothing wrong with it, the media got the springboks over confident against England and we nearly lost that one.
33 Go to commentsHey Finn, Well done to the Junior Wallabies…a win is a win but it was a wet and scrappy game. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on two things from watching the game at the Not So Sunny Coast Stadium. Firstly, what is your opinion on the rule change of being able to call The Mark from a kick off and what is the reason for the change? Secondly, your thoughts on the lack of action for the high tackle on the SA fullback. I understand the TMO ruled that he had fallen into the tackle and the tackler didn’t have time to adjust but it was clearly shoulder on head and the Aussie 11 had not made any attempt to adjust his tackle height leading into the tackle. In my opinion he was never going to get his tackle technique correct to complete a safe tackle. If that tackle was made at a more senior and more scrutinised level would we have seen the same result?
2 Go to commentsI don’t think this has been ventilated enough. Discuss. Perhaps the lessons in all of this is that, in the game of life, one should do all the talking on the field of play. And in the game of rugby, what’s said on the field - stays on the field. Take care of yourselves. And each other.
33 Go to commentsLow skills compared to the Junior ABs. The ball handling and ball retention of the SAns in particular was utterly woeful. The latter will be better on home turf.
2 Go to comments1. Heard this so often over the yrs. One Warriors CEO even claimed future kids wouldnt know which came first, the ABs or the Warriors. Always keen to talk themselves up. 2. That fella Barakat who says he will drop HBHS sponsorship because HBHS quite rightly wants its players to focus on rugby is an odd fit as a sponsor in the first place. As a recruitment official for the Warriors he seems to regard his sponsorship as a paid licence to help to select players from HBHS for the league side. Maybe he should find a league school to fund.
1 Go to commentsNZ U20s are the team to beat this year for sure. And how nice after so long that NZRFU is actually taking this seriously. For far too long they have been sending woefully coached and woefully underprepared teams to the U20 WCs. That Wrampling boy is a star in the making.
2 Go to commentsI agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
2 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
33 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
33 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
33 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
33 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
33 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to comments