Young Highlanders tested by Jamie Joseph's preseason

The Highlanders’ preseason is proving to be a trial by fire under returning head coach Jamie Joseph, who has his side sweating in New Zealand’s south.

Despite sending his troops into the gym for a crack at ju-jitsu this week, Joseph is doubling down on the rugby-specific training to get his team fit and on song.

A trip to the beach for some surf lifesaving has also featured in the preseason schedule, something the team admittedly had a little trouble with in the torrent St Clair waters.

“I don’t think I’ll be taking it up any time soon. It was pretty challenging,” hooker Jack Taylor told 1News.

Loose forward Sean Withy was highly amused as an onlooker from the beach.

“They just looked like bloody idiots. I was like, ‘What are you guys doing?’ I was screaming at them!”

The team’s communication skills were challenged as the groups attempted to keep their boats facing the right way, with some finding more success than others. Wipeouts were recorded and no doubt a few gulps of salt water were taken.

On the training field, Joseph is putting his young athletes through their paces in what young utility back Sam Gilbert describes as one of the toughest preseason of his career to date.

“There’s been a few now! But we’re just out here running, lots of rugby, lots of ball in hand – it’s good stuff!” Gilbert said.

The intense schedule is expected as Joseph asserts himself and his values on the young group. Those values are notoriously hard-nosed.

“He’s tough, he’s stern, but he coaches on the spot,” Withy said.

“That’s what I like about Jake (Joseph) – you’re in the middle of training, but he’s pulling us up for stuff that’s not happening rather than waiting later for a review.”

The man himself says having all but one of his squad together for the preseason is an advantage he intends to make the most of, with Ethan de Groot along with his fellow All Blacks set to rejoin their respective teams in January.

“Given the fact we’ve only got one current All Black, we do have our team all together,” Joseph said.

“We’re trying to find a point of difference where we can get ahead a little bit with the game, understanding and using the game of rugby, to get our guys fit versus, you know, guys living in the gym.”

It’s been a tough stretch for the club since Joseph led them to their first and only Super Rugby title in 2015, featuring nearer to the bottom of the table than the top since Covid and even missing the playoffs in 2023.

Joseph says the signs are there for a turnaround as more young talent filters into the squad, including a handful of recent New Zealand U20 products. He says the team has also shown plenty of tenacity during the tough preseason.

“I take real confidence in the fact that they just keep on getting out.

“With a young team, they’re going to have some tough games this season and preparing them for that is important, but especially for the confidence and going to have to battle through some really tough matches.

“We look at all the numbers on the GPS and they’re improving. Those are the kind of signs we look at as coaches and ensure that we’re not over the cliff. We’re still right there, we’re looking over, but we’re not falling over.”