Highlanders 2024
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Withy and Harmon are locks with that trio. If we play Renton, we need to consider who takes on the carrying responsibility from the rest of the pack. That'll likely sit on Holland's shoulders. Which means he has to start. The eight role is still a question mark. I'd like to see them give both Sanders and Stodart a go. On reflection, a bit of ill discipline and goal kicking was the difference score wise. The game certainly showed we can compete with the other NZ sides. The biggest upside of the last couple of weeks is that our backs are opening up space behind the defensive line.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
Withy and Harmon are locks with that trio. If we play Renton, we need to consider who takes on the carrying responsibility from the rest of the pack. That'll likely sit on Holland's shoulders. Which means he has to start. The eight role is still a question mark. I'd like to see them give both Sanders and Stodart a go. On reflection, a bit of ill discipline and goal kicking was the difference score wise. The game certainly showed we can compete with the other NZ sides. The biggest upside of the last couple of weeks is that our backs are opening up space behind the defensive line.
Stoddart might be a year early? I'm not sure Withy should be a lock. We got totally bullied in the loose.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
@frugby week or two isn;t too bad i guess
I have no idea how long he is out for, it may well be a lot longer. I just know he flew home yesterday.
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hopefully its not too bad
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Tom Sanders has flown over as cover. I'd throw him straight into the 23.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
Tom Sanders has flown over as cover. I'd throw him straight into the 23.
I'm guessing he is going to be thrown straight in at 8.
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What blows my mind about the Highlanders is their failure to up skill all the young talent they have. While the rest of that 2022 u20s team is flying along in the other franchises (e.g. Hotham), the Highlanders young 20s players are wasting away on either 5-10mins game time off the bench or not even in the squad!
Failed overseas 10 experiment take two, a locking group that’s made of glass, and a back row that was thrown around like a rag dole last season. I’d be able to bare the thrashings if it meant young players get experience for future seasons, not thrashing with overseas players and has been super rugby players who can’t get contracts for other teams. -
@KiwiInAus said in Highlanders 2024:
What blows my mind about the Highlanders is their failure to up skill all the young talent they have. While the rest of that 2022 u20s team is flying along in the other franchises (e.g. Hotham), the Highlanders young 20s players are wasting away on either 5-10mins game time off the bench or not even in the squad!
Failed overseas 10 experiment take two, a locking group that’s made of glass, and a back row that was thrown around like a rag dole last season. I’d be able to bare the thrashings if it meant young players get experience for future seasons, not thrashing with overseas players and has been super rugby players who can’t get contracts for other teams.Citing the success of Hotham and the failure of the Welsh ten makes it pretty hard to take this post seriously.
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@KiwiInAus said in Highlanders 2024:
What blows my mind about the Highlanders is their failure to up skill all the young talent they have. While the rest of that 2022 u20s team is flying along in the other franchises (e.g. Hotham), the Highlanders young 20s players are wasting away on either 5-10mins game time off the bench or not even in the squad!
Failed overseas 10 experiment take two, a locking group that’s made of glass, and a back row that was thrown around like a rag dole last season. I’d be able to bare the thrashings if it meant young players get experience for future seasons, not thrashing with overseas players and has been super rugby players who can’t get contracts for other teams.dont have all day the respond to every "point"....but patchell has been good...at very least not a failure, delivered the decisive pass for two tries this season and scored another
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2024:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
Tom Sanders has flown over as cover. I'd throw him straight into the 23.
I'm guessing he is going to be thrown straight in at 8.
ODT is talking about him being lock cover
Sanders to provide locking cover after knee injury to Parkinson
The Highlanders’ locking stocks will come under more pressure this week. Pari Pari Parkinson has returned home to Dunedin after picking up a knee...
Loose forward Tom Sanders will join the Highlanders as locking cover for the team’s game against the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday night. He gets the nod over specialist lock Hugo Plummer, who has been training with the Highlanders as injury cover. -
@Duluth said in Highlanders 2024:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2024:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
Tom Sanders has flown over as cover. I'd throw him straight into the 23.
I'm guessing he is going to be thrown straight in at 8.
ODT is talking about him being lock cover
Sanders to provide locking cover after knee injury to Parkinson
The Highlanders’ locking stocks will come under more pressure this week. Pari Pari Parkinson has returned home to Dunedin after picking up a knee...
Loose forward Tom Sanders will join the Highlanders as locking cover for the team’s game against the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday night. He gets the nod over specialist lock Hugo Plummer, who has been training with the Highlanders as injury cover.Probably the long bow from the reporter of lock out, Sanders in, he is the locking cover.
Haig will primarily be the locking cover, and will take the 19 jersey I'd say. Sanders either goes into the 20 or the 8.
Old @KiwiInAus having a decent go at some late night ramblings. Citing the 2022 national U20 team, where you'd say there are only half a dozen players who already firmly stamped their marks. One would be Fabian Holland. The other young players in the Highlanders are being given game time slowly to aid in their development. In terms of Patchell, jeez the Crusaders would probably be very keen to have a player like him managing the team at 10. I'm stoked with how he has gone so far.
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G gt12 referenced this topic on
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G gt12 referenced this topic on
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Overall performance-wise, certianly not a perfect start to the season, but to be 2-1 I don't think we can really complain. The big work-on remains cleaning up the breakdown, because we are still getting slow ball there, and are left isolated a little often for my liking. Have also allowed the opposition to get quick ball.
I suspect if we do this it will allow us to keep more of the ball too, which will reduce the need to make so many tackles, and should in-turn give cleaner ball to work with for Fakatava, who I think has come in for some unfair critique.
Felt that was the best I'd seen from Withy this season, so he'll probably come back in at 6 alongside Harmon and Renton, who at the moment are clearly the best in their positions. Haig will be back in the 23 I think in 19, so it is a question of who gets the go in 20. I'd love to see them chuck Stodart in there, but suspect it may be Sanders, who will be better for having had a run out.
I think also, after three quite energy sapping games, they might rest a handful of players ahead of the Chiefs game. Bell has been very good, but they might go with Taylor to keep him fresh. Nareki I think has been a little poor, particularly by his standards so they might give Bogado a go?
Could be:
- de Groot
- Taylor
- Ainsley
- Holland
- Hicks
- Withy
- Harmon
- Renton
- Fakatava
- Patchell
- Bogado
- Gilbert
- Tele'a
- Tavatavanawai
- Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
- Bell
- Lienert-Brown
- Wingham
- Haig
- Sanders
- Arscott
- Faleafaga
- Nareki
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2024:
The big work-on remains cleaning up the breakdown, because we are still getting slow ball there, and are left isolated a little often for my liking.
Yeah not committing numbers didn't work. Not only the slow ball and turnovers but it could've resulted in more penalties too.. quite often the Highlanders recognised they need more numbers and then the late arriving player would join from the side.
One thing I would like to see ifs Fakatava asked to dial it back a bit. For a round or two just try to get the ball into the Patchell/Faleafaga's hands as fast as possible. He has a good pass but I don't think the Highlanders get the benefit of it often enough
I think he makes it hard for the forwards to know where the next target is. Also some of the quick ruck ball isn't given to the backline. Sometimes it's not the run, it's having a look if the run is on and then passing
Just concentrate on the basics and then add the fancy stuff in later when the team is functioning better
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@Duluth yeah bang on - it's like Fakatava is weighing up too many options at every breakdown and is half the reason for the disruption - he's far too slow to clear it at times and it's not to do with no protection. At least for solid periods in the first half or so, just look for crisp distribution and stop putting your hand on the ball, look at the defence, look back at your runners, look at the defence again, pick and pass.
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@Kiwiwomble shithouse. Harmon to 8, Withy to open?
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@Bones i tend to prefer to not move everyone around if we dont have to so sanders or maybe broughton.....although havent been impressed with broughton this season
