Highlanders 2022
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
If McClutchie can continue to improve his kicking, a Fakatava-McC combo reunited at the Highlanders sounds pretty good for next year, even without my black&white eye patch on.
I have no idea why he isn’t there this year. Some one at the Landers needs firing, because if they are trying to focus on ‘local’ talent, its a recipe for being the 5th best franchise in NZ.
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@bones said in Highlanders 2022:
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2022:
if they are trying to focus on ‘local’ talent
Not sure if serious....
I'm not, but I can't fathom why didn't bring another 10 into the squad.
I can understand re-signing Banks, but as the 3rd 10, not the 2nd 10 and only other option to Hunt.
I know they have the young kid, but he's at least a year away, maybe two, from Super rugby.
Clearly, they don't trust Koroi, so simply put, I don't get it.
Right now they could be bringing McClutchie and Fakatava off the bench and developing them both.
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@gt12 said in Highlanders 2022:
@bones said in Highlanders 2022:
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2022:
if they are trying to focus on ‘local’ talent
Not sure if serious....
I'm not, but I have can't fathom why didn't bring another 10 into the squad.
I can understand re-signing Banks, but as the 3rd 10, not the 10 and only other option to Banks.
I know they have the young kid, but he's at least a year away, maybe two, from Super rugby.
Clearly, they don't trust Koroi, so simply put, I don't get it.
Right now they could be bringing McClutchie and Fakatava off the bench and developing them both.
Yep agree. I didn’t see the value in Banks instead of a McClutchie type player.
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris McClutchie, not a "McClutchie type player". The advantage of having McC there would exactly be that combo with Fakatava (and Mikaele-Tu'u at 8 ) that already exists at NPC level.
Well if they didn’t rate McClutchie which they cleary did not as they didn’t select him.
Any investment in a young player would have been better than Banks.
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@gt12 said in Highlanders 2022:
@bones said in Highlanders 2022:
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2022:
if they are trying to focus on ‘local’ talent
Not sure if serious....
I'm not, but I have can't fathom why didn't bring another 10 into the squad.
I can understand re-signing Banks, but as the 3rd 10, not the 10 and only other option to Banks.
I know they have the young kid, but he's at least a year away, maybe two, from Super rugby.
Clearly, they don't trust Koroi, so simply put, I don't get it.
Right now they could be bringing McClutchie and Fakatava off the bench and developing them both.
Pretty sure 10/12/13 is cursed at the landers or something as no coach seems to want to put any decent thought into the area....which is surprising considering the ones we've had!
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@chris said in Highlanders 2022:
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris McClutchie, not a "McClutchie type player". The advantage of having McC there would exactly be that combo with Fakatava (and Mikaele-Tu'u at 8 ) that already exists at NPC level.
Well if they didn’t rate McClutchie which they cleary did not as they didn’t select him.
Well, maybe that was exactly where they got it wrong.
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris said in Highlanders 2022:
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris McClutchie, not a "McClutchie type player". The advantage of having McC there would exactly be that combo with Fakatava (and Mikaele-Tu'u at 8 ) that already exists at NPC level.
Well if they didn’t rate McClutchie which they cleary did not as they didn’t select him.
Well, maybe that was exactly where they got it wrong.
No doubt about that.
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@tim in terms of attracting talent i remember a specific scenario where Tony brown informed journo Paul of the stuff site that he was very keen on Kini Naholo as the ideal replacement for Nareki and the next thing you know he's snapped up by the crusaders💀
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@fakatavafuture said in Highlanders 2022:
@tim in terms of attracting talent i remember a specific scenario where Tony brown informed journo Paul of the stuff site that he was very keen on Kini Naholo as the ideal replacement for Nareki and the next thing you know he's snapped up by the crusaders💀
Where he gets approximately fuck-all game time.
I know he’s young, but he’s miles away from the bench and would probably be starting at the landers. Surprising choice to me, unless the landers didn’t really try.
This is beyond Kini, who is miles and miles away from the ABs, but I really hope that the AB coaches ignore players who can’t demand a start at their franchise.
Want to get an AB cap? Be the best at your franchise or move.
If they did that, so think we’d not see young players lining up to be behind established All Blacks.
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@gt12 said in Highlanders 2022:
This is beyond Kini, who is miles and miles away from the ABs, but I really hope that the AB coaches ignore players who can’t demand a start at their franchise.
Want to get an AB cap? Be the best at your franchise or move.
If they did that, so think we’d not see young players lining up to be behind established All Blacks.
Sorry, but that's a ridiculous suggestion. Competition is healthy and if players have to push each other for a starting spot, that is only good for them. And for upcoming talent it can only be good to be able to learn from those established ABs.
Also, some players, who do not always start at their franchise, are still better players than players in the same position at another franchise. It would be really poor ABs selection policy if they selected a player from another franchise instead of a better player who is not a regular starter. Example: they could only select Asafo Aumua OR Dane Coles, but not both. They would have to select Liam Coltman or Kurt Eklund instead. In the very near future, they could not select Fakatava until they drop Aaron Smith or Fakatava leaves the Highlanders.
Players will eventually leave on their own accord if they don't get enough game time or starts (case in point: several ex-Crusaders at the Highlanders, or many ex-Canes spread around the franchises). It doesn't always serve them well (case in point: several ex-Crusaders at the Highlanders); sometimes it does (e.g., several players who have left the Canes).
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I’m happy to accept it’s a bit ridiculous, but if the decision is a 50/50, I would hope that the decision goes to the guy who starts.
Right now, that would put Aumua is a situation where he needs to move or wait for Coles to retire (go overseas). Either of them are third choice. Taukei’aho is a good example of where Aumua should be if he were consistently starting at the level below.
Fakatava is a great example of your point but he’s probably dropped down too - Christie moved, got game time, and is now well ahead (I understand Fakatava was injured but he's probably fourth in line right now assuming they don't go back to Perenara).
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@bones said in Highlanders 2022:
@gt12 definitely see your point, but it's pretty harsh to say to a bloody good rugby player that he should move - what if he likes living where he lives?
I know you're really just saying we should only select Crusaders that start
Absolutely fair comment, and I'm glad you got my real point
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@tim said in Highlanders 2022:
Maybe these coaches who spend half their time coaching a team overseas are a bad idea?
You would think that Brown has a reasonable idea of what he wants from a 1st 5. Cameron Millar has only just started playing for Otago so is still a long way from SR level. D'Angelo Leuila would have been available if McClutchie had already signed for MP. He has NPC and some international experience.
The problem was that Hunt is the guaranteed starter (and vice-captain) so it would be hard to convince an outsider to go there when they believe they have little chance of playing.
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Injury updates in this article:
The Highlanders are preparing for Friday’s clash against Moana Pasifika with almost a full deck of cards, with James Lentjes and Jermaine Ainsley available after missing the loss to the Crusaders, while All Black Shannon Frizell will also suit up despite his heavy workload this year.
“There is a plan in place for him that Brownie [Tony Brown] has organised with the All Blacks coaches, but this week he is going to be available,” Christie said.
Frizell’s rest might coincide with the much-awaited return of Billy Harmon. Christie said the No 7 had overcome his shoulder injury and was technically available to play. However, a bout of Covid-19 had set him back a week.
Instead, the home game against the Hurricanes on Saturday week could be the right time for Harmon’s first game of the campaign.
Christie also said that classy winger Denny Solomona – who was impressive off the bench against the Crusaders – was probably a week or two away from regaining full match sharpness.
“Once he gets his body right and he's at full fitness I think he's going to be a huge weapon for us,” Christie said of the 28-year-old.
“He was in quarantine for three weeks [when he returned to Aotearoa from England], He’s been training really hard for the last month.
“He lost 8kg in the first three weeks he was here, and he might just have a little bit more weight to lose and then try to get his rugby fitness right.” -
@stargazer good on Ash for being very instrumental to Folau, even helping him secure full time super contract🙂Folau saying how canes wanted him for pre season back in 2019 makes me think of the same thing transpiring years earlier with Lima, Nug
