Mauger happy with wellbalanced squad
HIGHLANDERS coach Aaron Mauger is looking for more consistency from what he is calling a wellbalanced squad for 2019.
Mauger named his squad for next season yesterday. It consists of 30 players back from last year, seven new players and the return of Marty Banks from Japan.
‘‘We are really happy where we have got to with our squad. We have got a really wellbalanced squad — wellproven performers at this level mixed with seven new faces who have proven their talents at the Mitre 10 Cup,’’ he said.
Waikato props Josh IosefaScott and Ayden Johnstone have joined the team along with Tasman hooker Ray Niuia and Reds prop Sef Fa’agase.
Also included is Auckland lock Jack Whetton and young halfback Folau Fakatava, who turns 19 in December. He is the youngest Super Rugby player in the country. Bryn Gatland joins from the Blues.
Mauger was looking for more size in his team and the four front rowers he signed will help that.
He is looking to do some things different during preseason to improve the size of some players.
Fa’agase played tighthead prop for Canterbury in this year’s Mitre 10 Cup but the Highlanders view him as a loosehead.
Fa’agase (27) played 33 games for the Reds. He was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia as a toddler.
He has played for a Wallaby XV and Mauger said they were still working through his residency. He has not played a test for Australia.
He said the coaching group had worked through what occurred last year and what
had to be improved.
‘‘Last year there were some key learnings for us . . . just some things around consistency and performing on the road. We just did not get it quite right.
‘‘We have spent a lot of time looking at things like how we travel and how we make sure we can try and replicate some of the things we do well at home.
‘‘Against bigger sides we struggled at times and got squeezed a little bit. That took a lot of energy out of our game. And we could not play our game as well as we did.
‘‘I think that is reflected in our recruitment. We have gone for a couple of guys who are very good around the set piece and still got some areas to grow in those parts.
‘‘And also the growth of guys like Tyrel Lomax, Paripari Parkinson, Josh Dickson — I thought they were outstanding in the Mitre 10 Cup.
‘‘So those guys have had more footy under their belt and they are going to compete against the regular guys.’’
The side’s All Blacks were likely to be rested for two games, similar to last season, but all player workloads would be managed.
Prop Siate Tokolahi is coming back from a knee operation. He will have a gradual reintroduction in December and should be right in January.
No decision had been made on captaincy as cocaptains Ben Smith and Ash Dixon are tied up in endofyear tours.
Dixon will also go and play a couple of games for Panasonic in Japan at the end of the Maori All Blacks tour.
Aki Seiuli will miss next season because of a knee injury. Fellow prop Kalolo Tuiloma is also out.
He will have an operation on his neck in January, which will rule him out for the season.
AUCKLAND: A chastened and wiser Jordie Barrett is expected to return to the All Blacks’ starting lineup to play Japan in Tokyo.
The youngest Barrett brother in the squad has been on a learnandevolve break since he suffered an awkward night in Wellington against the Springboks.
A test that started well for Barrett when he picked the perfect line to run off brother Beauden to score the opening try turned in the wrong direction when he threw an illadvised quick lineout to Rieko Ioane.
It was the wrong option, poorly executed and the outcome was a try to Willie le Roux and the beginning of a South African resurgence that resulted in the touring side pushing on the claim its first victory in New Zealand since 2009.
Barrett has not played since but he should be involved against Japan with a mandate to put into practice what he has learnt in the wake of that defeat.
The All Blacks have been careful to ensure Barrett absorbed the mistakes he made in Wellington but did not feel victimised or restricted from trying things in future tests.
‘‘He’s very young,’’ All Black coach Ian Foster said about Barrett.
‘‘We are hard on players. We put them in the black jersey and they make some mistakes and then we kind of write them off to a certain degree.’’
Foster said the coaching challenge with Barrett was similar to the one they faced with Damian McKenzie in 2016 and 2017.
McKenzie came into the test team as an instinctive, unreserved footballer who was willing to take major risks that often brought major rewards.
But there were also multiple occasions when he made costly errors that could have been avoided had he shown some restraint and more discipline.
Perseverance is beginning to reap rewards for McKenzie who is maturing into a more balanced decisionmaker and Foster has the same hope for Barrett.
‘‘Young players love to play,’’ he said. ‘‘It is not easy for them when they don’t get picked but he’s been massively impressive.’’
Barrett, it would seem, will be in a back three likely to also consist of Nehe MilnerSkudder and Waisake Naholo in a matchday 23 in which probably the survivor from the Yokohama 23 will be Richie Mo’unga.
Mo’unga and Te Toiroa Tahururangi are set to be the halves, with Ngani Laumape and Matt Proctor the probable midfield.
Luke Whitelock, who led the All Black XV in the nontest against a French XV last year, is tipped to be captain from No 8 with Dalton Papali’i and Vaea Fifita rounding out the loose trio.
An injury to Luke Romano prevented him from travelling, meaning Jackson Hemopo will be pressed into the second row alongside Patrick Tuipuluto.
Tim Perry, Dane Coles and Ofa Tuungafasi are the likely starting front row. — NZME