Highlanders 2021
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Highlanders (first half): Connor Garden-Bachop, Ngatungane Punivai, Fetuli Paea, Jona Nareki, Mitch Hunt, Folau Fakatava, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Billy Harmon, Hugh Renton, Jack Regan, Josh Dickson, Siate Tokolahi, Liam Coltman, Daniel Lienert-Brown.
Highlanders (second half): Connor Garden-Bachop, Freedom Vahaakolo, Michael Collins, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Scot Gregory, Caleb Makene, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Sean Withy, Sione Misiloi, Bryn Evans, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Jermaine Ainsley, Ricky Joackson, Ethan de Groot.
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@Bovidae Typo
For the second half, Hammington has been bracketed with James Arscott.
Media release: https://thehighlanders.co.nz/media-centre/news/1056-highlanders-name-side-ahead-of-farmlands-cup-clash
Still several players missing; not just current All Blacks, but also guys like Ash Dixon, Liam Squite, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Josh Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder.
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@Stargazer no Alaimalo even
that prob 4 or 5 from the first choice last year and then probably our biggest signing not playing
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@Kiwiwomble Yeah, will have to wait until next week's game against the Canes in Alexandra.
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im just going to add, im a bit excited about TUJ....largely due to playing with him in the midfield in RC4...but I hope he gets a bt of a run
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Brown also confirmed that Japanese test start Kazuki Himeno has landed in New Zealand and is in managed isolation.
Big things are expected of Himeno, although he is unlikely to be sighted before round tow of Super Rugby Aotearoa, at the earliest.
“He's in isolation, he's got a couple of weeks there,” Brown said. “He's pretty excited to be in New Zealand and he can't wait to get out.
“I think round one is a big ask. Obviously if you have two weeks in isolation with not a lot of training, I think you’re going to have to have two weeks of good training after that.
“He's fit. He's been training in Japan but two weeks doing nothing it's a tough ask to come in and play straight away.”
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I wonder if they were allowed to leave like weights and stuff in Himeno's room, probably not
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@Kiwiwomble when the ABs came back from Aus last year they had exercise bikes and stuff, so I am sure they can get what they want put in there.
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@Kiwiwomble I've seen plenty of returning players with all sorts of equipment, including watt bikes and the likes. I guess it depends on the size of the room how much they can exercise and use equipment.
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Apart from Pari Pari Parkinson and Sam Gilbert – both of whom are not expected to be available until April – coach Tony Brown said on Thursday that his players were all on track to be ready for the round one clash against the Crusaders in Dunedin on February 26. Significantly, that includes both Liam Squire and Nehe Milner-Skudder, and Brown revealed the former All Blacks wing is line for what would be emotional Highlanders debut against the Hurricanes in Alexandra next week – the second of the Highlanders’ preseason clashes.“Solomon [Alaimalo] is on track to get 40 minutes next week, and [flanker] Jimmy Lentjes is on track to get 20 minutes this week. “[Josh Ioane and Liam Squire] have got niggles that don't allow them to play this week, so Josh, Liam, Marino [Mikaele-Tu’u] is another one, but they are only one or two weeks away. “It's not a major for us.[Connor] Garden-Bachop is something of an unknown quantity, even to his coach.
“Connor ... I've actually never seen him play so I’m excited to watch him go and I know he's excited to get out there.
“I know he had a tough year last year so it’ll be good to see what he can deliver.” -
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well, that's a real bugger
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are we going to see Jamie Mackintosh get a call up if he's knocking around dunners
