Highlanders 2021
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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.” -
@Tim said in Highlanders 2021:
@Bovidae Playing six backs may be a mistake.
TBN is like an extra back. Duh.
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@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2021:
Once Tomkinson gets his red card the team list will be accurate.
As a Highlanders fan, it hurts me to like this post.
Not as much as Tomkinson's arm/shoulder will hurt a rival's head this season, mind you.
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are we going to see Jamie Mackintosh get a call up if he's knocking around dunners
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Johnstone received a head knock during the North-South game, as he went off not long after coming on as a sub. A worry if he is still having symptoms.
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@Bovidae yeah, what is it, 5 months?
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@Kiwiwomble Sept 5, and he hasn't played since then.
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@Kiwiwomble There are some solid props in the WTGs of the various squads, so it would be good to see one of them get some experience.
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@Tim would love to check them out, any idea where the TG's are listed?
it will be interesting as Ainsley and Johnstone where probably first string so might be a big step up for some young blokes
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@Kiwiwomble I don’t know if you have Instagram or not but look at the Chiefs and the Canes players they had in the pre season class on the weekend, the Blues are useless in this regard as they didn’t post the team lists.
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The extra props used by the Highlanders in Temuka would be at the top of the list for replacements.
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@Kiwiwomble Unfortunately teams are poor at updating this info.
The Harbour boys McElroy (LH), Mayhew (LH) (if fit), and Roots (TH) are worth looking at. McElroy is WTG for the Blues, and played club rugby in Dunedin as well as for Otago U19.
From Auckland there's Marco Fepuleai (Blues WTG, TH)
From Counties Lindenmuth (LH, Chiefs WTG)
From BOP Jordan Lay and Tevita Mafileo (TH, Hurricanes WTG)
From Ta$man there's Samuel Matenga (TH) and Ryan Coxon (LH).
Maybe someone from the Crusaders, Highlanders, or Chiefs WTG I haven't seen too.
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Josh Iosefa-Scott is one of the Chiefs WTG props. Of course, he was in the Highlanders squad until this year. The other Chiefs prop not mentioned is Joe Apikotoa (TH, Hawke's).
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@Tim said in Highlanders 2021:
Tevita Mafileo (TH, Hurricanes WTG)Mafileo has a full time contract with the Canes u til 2022
(https://www.superrugby.co.nz/news/hurricanes-bolster-forward-pack-for-2021/)
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@Stargazer yeah, but if you're a young prop on the up where are you more likely to want to go....
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Chris Eves is back in the country again, too. Came out of managed isolation last week.
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Rob Cobb is probably worth looking at too.
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so some thoughts after watching the pre season game on friday
Smith v Fakatava
im almost feeling like Fakatava should start, go nuts with fresh legs, and Smith come on later as the old/experienced head to close out a game
obviously i doubt it will, at least at the start of the season
a fun problem to have
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
so some thoughts after watching the pre season game on friday
Smith v Fakatava
im almost feeling like Fakatava should start, go nuts with fresh legs, and Smith come on later as the old/experienced head to close out a game
obviously i doubt it will, at least at the start of the season
a fun problem to have
Nah let Smith start with his guile and pass that beats 3 men. Fakatava with his running game and speed to pick holes will be even more dangerous.
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fuck it...just reading Fetuli Paea is out for the season
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
fuck it...just reading Fetuli Paea is out for the season
Sucks for him but I'm not all that upset for the Highlanders...plenty of other young fellas that are in the same ball park talent wise.
If only there was a player that had stuck his hand up at 13 last season...
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@bones collins?
i am a bit gutted, he looked like what we'd been looking for during pre season
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones collins?
i am a bit gutted, he looked like what we'd been looking for during pre season
Yep.
See that's the problem with investing yourself in preseason! Chiefs probably had a wicked preseason last year. Bet the blues had a few awesome ones in the years before that.
It's how you end up with a Sio/Josh midfield and Hunt at ten.
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@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
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Gregory could also be used in the midfield, his best position.
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
Midfield is only a weakness due to selection and bizarrely the only one getting it right seems to be Holland, it's a country wide thing!
Collins finished up strongly at centre last season. Prior to that we had Walden at 12 in excellent form and forming a great combination with matchbox.
We've seen the Crusaders take their 12 from last year (and the AB 12) and move him to 13 (where he should have been all along) to accommodate a young, inexperienced player at 12....who seems to be touted as a 13.
What the fuck is in the water over there?
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@bones said in Highlanders 2021:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
Midfield is only a weakness due to selection and bizarrely the only one getting it right seems to be Holland, it's a country wide thing!
Collins finished up strongly at centre last season. Prior to that we had Walden at 12 in excellent form and forming a great combination with matchbox.
We've seen the Crusaders take their 12 from last year (and the AB 12) and move him to 13 (where he should have been all along) to accommodate a young, inexperienced player at 12....who seems to be touted as a 13.
What the fuck is in the water over there?
McLeod is a 12 mainly, played on the wing a bit in his debut NPC season. due to injuries and lack of wing depth in 2019.
But he is not a 13,Too slow for a 13 as it proved when played on the wing., -
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones I've never seen McLeod touted as a 13; are you sure?
I was interested to see him named at 12 as I thought I'd only seen him at 13, so thought he must have been a specialist for them to be moving Goodhue (again). I found this.
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@bones said in Highlanders 2021:
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones I've never seen McLeod touted as a 13; are you sure?
I was interested to see him named at 12 as I thought I'd only seen him at 13, so thought he must have been a specialist for them to be moving Goodhue (again). I found this.
Wiki Haha He aint no centre
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones Must have written by someone from the NH. The call all midfielders centre. Besides, Wiki, really?
Not too sure of the interest in McLeod from the NH, but ok. And yeah, not even wiki....just the google. I know he's a crusaders player but I didn't really have a HUGE interest in doing further research, it was merely to support my rant.
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