Highlanders 2020
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@Chris-B said in Highlanders 2020:
@Bones You did at least used to have two Smiths.
And a sprinkling of Naholos and Squires - even Dixon and Lomax.
Now we have THE FUTURE! Ably led around the pitch by the after....david.
Honestly though, there's a number of guys there touted as having a shot at the black jersey, as well as a butchers handful of guys bubbling under the last year or three.
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HIGHLANDERS 2020 SQUAD (* new player)
FORWARDS: Liam Coltman, Ash Dixon, Ricky Jackson,* Daniel Lienert-Brown, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Ayden Johnstone, Siate Tokolahi, Jeff Thwaites*, Ethan De Groot*, Pari Pari Parkinson, Josh Dickson, Jack Whetton, Manaaki Selby-Rickit*, James Lentjes, Dillon Hunt, Marino Mikaele Tu'u, Shannon Frizell, Sione Misiloi*, Zane Kapeli*, Teariki Ben-Nicholas*, Jesse Parete*.
BACKS: Aaron Smith, Kayne Hammington, Folau Fakatava, Bryn Gatland, Josh Ioane, Mitch Hunt*, Rob Thompson, Patelesio Tomkinson, Teihorangi Walden, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Scott Gregory, Ngane Punivai*, Jona Nareki*, Tevita Nabura, Josh McKay, Michael Collins*, Chris Kuridrani*, Connor Garden-Bachop*.
In: Ricky Jackson, Jeff Thwaites, Ethan De Groot, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Sione Misiloi, Zane Kapeli, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Jesse Parete, Mitch Hunt, Ngane Punivai, Jona Nareki, Michael Collins, Chris Kuridrani, Connor Garden-Bachop
Out: Sef Fa'agese, Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes), Ray Niuia, Tom Franklin (Kobe), Jackson Hemopo (Mitsubishi DynaBoars), Luke Whitelock (Pau), Elliot Dixon (Ricoh), Liam Squire (NTT Docomo), Marty Banks (NTT Docomo), Richard Buckman (Kobe), Matt Faddes (Ulster), Tevita Li (Suntory), Waisake Naholo (London Irish), Ben Smith (Pau). -
@Bovidae no kianu kereru symes
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@Jonty-lean Another disappointment. He's better than Ricky Jackson.
I guess Kereru-Symes didn't get enough game time this season to make a case. Not good for him being stuck behind Dixon, who had a cracker of a season. Will get his chance next year, I hope.
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@Stargazer Please enlighten me. Who is Ricky Jackson as I don't recall his name from the NPC?
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@Higgins NZ under 20s..it’s probably one of those cover selections to keep a young player in the area
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@Steven-Harris said in Highlanders 2020:
@Higgins NZ under 20s..it’s probably one of those cover selections to keep a young player in the area
Agreed, and I have no problem with that. I thought Jackson played well for the U20s. They could have selected Flynn Thomas.
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@Bovidae Flynn Thomas is barely Mitre 10 Cup level at this stage of his career. He has a long way to go before thinking about Super Rugby.
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@African-Monkey I mentioned him to make my point if they wanted to select a different young, local player to develop. I agree that he isn't good enough at this stage.
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@Steven-Harris Neither but as they say innocent til proven guilty so he’s getting the benefit of the doubt.
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@Steven-Harris Thanks, I see he was in the Otago NPC Team as recently as 2017. However nowhere to be seen in 2018 and 2019 for reasons unknown. The hookers used by Otago in 2019 (excluding the Canterbury game where I cannot find their team lineup!) were Liam Coltman (One start only v HB), Skeonaia Pole (4 starts and 4 x bench), Nic Souchon (3 starts and 4 x bench) and Steven Misa (2 starts and 1 x bench). Four hookers used and Ricky Jackson s not one of them. Is this a case of a club player bypassing NPC and making it directly into Super Rugby?
