Highlanders 2024
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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
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@Kiwiwomble possibly one of those guys that will settle in with plenty more game time but it should be in small periods off the bench. He doesn't even look close to super level yet, so noticeable.
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I'd rather see a bigger body in Stodart off the bench than Broughton. At least he will go forward.
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@SouthernMann forgot about Stodart
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once again i think the u20's have a better jersey than the senior team
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble shithouse. Harmon to 8, Withy to open?
I like this... though equally Broughton might benefit from getting time in the saddle and a consistent run of games? He was awesome on debut against the Drua last year under the roof, so he has it in him.
I think it is more likely though they opt for Sanders, who actually was quite good statistically vs the Tahs. Let's not forget, he had a very disrupted pre-season, so I wouldn't want to write him off too quickly (this also applies to Broughton, though he has had bench appearances)
Sanders Stats:
3 Carries
10 Metres Gained
12/14 Successful Tackles (Renton was 13/17... Sanders also played 17 fewer minutes)
1 Penalty ConcededIf they are going like for like, they should and will pick Sanders.
Interesting though, to look at the stats of Sean Withy this season. His tackle numbers are way below that of Harmon and Renton, which to me backs up the idea they are using him in the wide channel. If they are going to stick with that, then IMO they'd be better off going with Haig at 6, and using Withy at 8 for the next period.
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@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2024:
That was also the butter-fingers Sanders we remember from his Chiefs days.
He actually only knocked the ball on once (which was from that chip and chase)... I personally think that the Highlanders when structuring their loose forward trio need to build a trio.
Needs to be 2 hard-workers (Harmon + Withy/Renton/Sanders) and one more dynamic ball-player (Haig/Broughton/Stodart).
Stodart is still very young, so I'd expect him to get very few if any minutes this season, because that has been what we have traditionally done with our first year forwards... particularly loosies.
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A disappointing step backwards, but by no means a disaster. I actually think we lost that game in the coaches box with a way over-thought game-plan. We discussed an aerial game, but were way too strict to it. We kicked the ball 36 times, which IMO is way too many for an afternoon kickoff under the roof.
Our backs look dangerous when they run it, and once again, our outsides looked good. Fakatava made some poor decisions, but I'll caveat that with the fact he was clearly under instruction to kick the ball... also doesn't excuse him overplaying at times.
Pack largely went well, particularly Sanders and Harmon IMO. Should be an interesting selection meeting for what is a free-hit against the Chiefs.
- Johnstone
- Bell
- Ma'u
- Holland
- Parkinson
- Withy
- Harmon
- Sanders
- Fakatava
- Patchell
- Nareki (Has great form at Waikato Stadium)
- Gilbert
- Tele'a
- Tavatavanawai
- Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
- Taylor
- DLB
- Ainsley
- Haig
- Broughton
- Hastie
- Faleafaga
- Bogado
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Highlanders more optimistic about de Groot and Hicks
Highlanders forwards Ethan de Groot and Max Hicks could be back in action sooner than expected. The pair were invalided out of the game against the...
de Groot recovering well from the head knock and Hicks is just a wrist sprain
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2024:
@frugby reckon Taylor deserves another crack at starting.
Tight call. I do think though, Bell earned the starting role through those first three games and was merely rested last week.
Taylor certainly well clear of Jackson though imo.
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Certainly has been an interesting start to the season. Lots of promise, but probably not quite the output we'd like?
Notable that Parkinson is the only player who started for us in Hamilton last year, who will do so again on Saturday. This is still a really new side adapting to new combinations, so to expect it to always be perfect was probably a little optimistic. de Groot, Parkinson, Harmon, Renton & Gilbert (eight of his starts were also at fullback) were the only players to start over half our games last year who are still nailed on starters.
The next two games are going to really show if we just had an easy draw to start and other sides are rusty, or whether we are genuinely going to be able to challenge for the places between 3-6.
