Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5:
Canes will welcome back Lomax, Aumua, Gallagher and Cashmore. They all trained this week so they will be welcome additions.
I can’t recall the last time the Highlanders beat the Canes? It must have been a while but definitely a change of tune as I think they’ll go in as favourites for this one.
The tide will turn for the Canes at some point but I feel that won’t come until after the bye. One of our main problem areas is the midfield. We won’t get Higgins back until at least round 7 and there is still no news on Proctor so as long as Umaga-Jensen and Sullivan are there our outsides will struggle to see any ball.
I’m picking the Landers in a close one with the Canes season almost being dead and buried before the seasons really begun. We’ll have to win almost every game from here on out if we lose on Saturday.
Lomax, Aumua and the likes will make a difference, but I honestly don't think the Canes forwards have really been their problem. With Proctor and Higgins seemingly no closer, there is no quick fix to what is a fairly shoddy backline once you get past 9-11.
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I won’t be surprised if we see Faleafaga on the bench this week. We saw what happened when Robinson went off and Millar went down against Moana and Gilbert was the make shift 10, he can do it at a pinch but it’s nothing you want to be relying on.
I’m selecting the same starting side as @frugby above but swapping 1 back sub and 1 forward sub. Taylor for Bell in 16 along with 22 to be Faleafaga and 23 to be Umaga Jenson.
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Last time the Highlanders bet the Hurricanes was 2018. Surviving players are DLB, Brad Shields and at the time Highlander's prop Tyrel Lomax.
She's been a cold winter since then.
10 cover will be an interesting watch. I reckon it'll depend on whether Hurley can get himself back on-board. We will really see whether Joseph truly has absolutely no time for Faleafaga.
I'm happier with Taylor at back up hooker than Bell.
I also reckon we will see Howden at six, and Withy at seven. Bring Lasaqa on as the impact man
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5:
Last time the Highlanders bet the Hurricanes was 2018. Surviving players are DLB, Brad Shields and at the time Highlander's prop Tyrel Lomax.
She's been a cold winter since then.
10 cover will be an interesting watch. I reckon it'll depend on whether Hurley can get himself back on-board. We will really see whether Joseph truly has absolutely no time for Faleafaga.
I'm happier with Taylor at back up hooker than Bell.
I also reckon we will see Howden at six, and Withy at seven. Bring Lasaqa on as the impact man
If I had to pick the Canes side for this week assuming Cashmore, Lomax, Aumua and Gallagher return via the bench, I would go for the following:
- Xavier Numia
- Jacob Devery
- Pasilio Tosi
- Caleb Delany
- Hugo Plummer (IWL can take a hike)
- Brad Shields (CC)
- Du Plessis Kirifi (CC)
- Peter Lakai
- Cam Roigard
- Harry Godfrey
- Kini Naholo
- Peter Umaga-Jensen (yuck)
- Bailyn Sullivan (yuck)
- Kade Banks
- Ruben Love
- Asafo Aumua
- Tevita Mafileo
- Tyrel Lomax
- Zach Gallagher
- Brayden Iose
- Jordi Vijoen (time to give this kid an opportunity)
- Lucas Cashmore
- Fehi Finenganofo
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@Canes4life What a massive dissapointment PUJ and sullivan have been. I actually was quite optimistic about the pairing, and perhaps if it had been only one of them thrust into the starting role it might have been okay - but we are really seeing why these guys have never progressed in their careers. They are actually going backwards by the looks and it really rarked me up seeing PUJ have a giggle to himself when he dropped a pretty standard kick with no pressure on him vs MP. Do we have noone in the wider squad to make these two actually justify their selection?
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@DurryMexted said in Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5:
@Canes4life What a massive dissapointment PUJ and sullivan have been. I actually was quite optimistic about the pairing, and perhaps if it had been only one of them thrust into the starting role it might have been okay - but we are really seeing why these guys have never progressed in their careers. They are actually going backwards by the looks and it really rarked me up seeing PUJ have a giggle to himself when he dropped a pretty standard kick with no pressure on him vs MP. Do we have noone in the wider squad to make these two actually justify their selection?
You might get away with having one of them starting, but because they are both erratic at the best of the times it's just a cause for complete chaos. You need a smarter / steadier operator to partner them in the midfield otherwise things turn to shit, which we've seen over the first four weeks.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5:
Last time the Highlanders bet the Hurricanes was 2018. Surviving players are DLB, Brad Shields and at the time Highlander's prop Tyrel Lomax.
She's been a cold winter since then.
10 cover will be an interesting watch. I reckon it'll depend on whether Hurley can get himself back on-board. We will really see whether Joseph truly has absolutely no time for Faleafaga.
I'm happier with Taylor at back up hooker than Bell.
I also reckon we will see Howden at six, and Withy at seven. Bring Lasaqa on as the impact man
Hurley wasn’t training last week, so I don’t think they’ll risk him making it worse. They tend to be cautious with muscle injuries.
Faleafaga will be interesting, I think they’ll gamble on leaving him out, because they’ll go for a 6-2 split I reckon, and I doubt they’d go in with just Arscott and Faleafaga.
They might stick with Taylor, but Bell is our best defensive hooker, and Taylor and Vikena were both poor against MP, so I think he might get the nod. Could be literally any combination though.
Howden did a good job coming on off the bench, and I’m not sure he will be ready to play 80 yet, so they’ll be lining him up to cover lock at the end of the game.
The key against the Blues was retaining size in the loose at the end, which is what we lacked against the Tahs and MP. If they start with Howden, Withy and Renton, feasibly, they might end the game with Withy, Lasaqa & Broughton, which is very small, particularly as Stodart would probably be at look.
If they go Withy, Lasaqa, Renton to start, Howden could come on at 6, or Naeta could come on at 6, and we retain size.
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Ben Smith media stand up. Sounds like Hurley, Nareki and Umaga-Jensen all available for the weekend. He did sound a bit hesitant around Hurley though.
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A win for the Highlanders here would be massive ahead of their Aussie tour. Going to Canberra, Perth, Brisbane then back to play the Drua is a tough four weeks of travel and a poor performance could completely derail their season.
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This post is deleted!
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@KiwiInLondon not going to Brisbane mate. We play the Reds in Dunedin on the 22nd of March(week after the canes) then off to Canberra and Perth after that. Your point still stands though, and as we know, home victories are key.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5:
@KiwiInLondon not going to Brisbane mate. We play the Reds in Dunedin on the 22nd of March(week after the canes) then off to Canberra and Perth after that. Your point still stands though, and as we know, home victories are key.
Evidently I can’t read. Tbh that’s far more favourable only having the two weeks overseas. Massive chance to go 3/4 in the next four weeks. Also means that when they get back home a few injured players are scheduled to come back
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My assumption will be the 23 would look something like this
- Ethan De Groot
- Soanne Vikenna
- Saula Ma'au
- Fabian Holland
- Mitchell Dunshea
- Lui Neeta
- Sean Withy
- Hugh Renton
- Nathan Hastie
- Taine Robinson
- Jona Narkei
- Timcoi T
- Tanelea Telea
- Caleb Tangitau
- Sam Gilbert
- Henry Bell
- Josh Barlett
- Sefo Kauitau
- TK Howden
- Venevui Lasaqua
- James Arscott
- AJ Falefaga
- Thomas Umunga Jensen
A few thoughts. On The highlanders 'pick your team' Hurley isn't available for selection while TUJ, Nareki and Howden are. So I think that's a good clue he's not seen as a likely for this game.
JJ has seemed hesitant to use Gilbert as 10 cover unless absolutely necessary so I suspect Falefaga makes the bench. We're pretty light on backs at the moment. So he's kinda last man standing aside from Mason and Te Hiwi (I'm assuming Whaanga is still out?)
If I was JJ i'd pick Lennox over Arscott. But Falefaga and Lennox as a halves combo at the end of the game seems too inexperienced. So I'm assuming unless Gilbert is 10 cover Lennox isn't picked.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Hurricanes - round 5:
Not sure what Robinson's goal kicking is like. But, other options may need to be considered if we chuck Gilbert on the bench as a utility replacement. Hurley is also a goal kicking option.
I was thinking about this, I think Hurley has kicked for Otago right? I'd bank that if Hurley is fit, he'd probably be the 10 cover in the 23 before Gilbert?
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Really hoping Hurley is out this weekend as he was electric against the Blues.
The more I think about it, this could be the most important game for the Canes this season. Win under the roof and then beat the Waratah's after the bye at home and we'd likely be right back in the hunt with a raft of players returning.
I expect the Canes to be really desperate in this one so I'm hoping for a much improved performance. Hopefully the Landers are a little clunky coming off the bye, I feel the bye came at the wrong time for them as they were building some nice momentum. In saying that they will be nice and re-freshed so will come at the Canes fairly heavily.
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@antipodean Agreed. If Hurley is fit and Adam Lennox available for selection I'd slot them both into that bench. But a pretty green side to close out the game.
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A few names spotted in yellow bibs at training today which signals they are in the 23 including the likes of Gallagher and Lomax and Aumua. Interesting to see Brett Cameron training, early return maybe? He was meant to be gone for the season.
Likely side from the images below, by far our strongest 23 of the year.
- Numia
- Aumua (CC)
- Lomax
- Delany
- Gallagher
- Shields (CC)
- Kirifi (CC)
- Lakai
- Roigard
- Godfrey
- Naholo
- Umaga-Jensen
- Sullivan
- Finenganofo
- Love
- Devery
- Mafileo
- Tosi
- Walker-Leawere
- Iose
- Enari
- Punivai
- Banks
