Highlanders lose Dixon
The bad news is Elliot Dixon has been scratched from Friday night’s home game against the Stormers, the good news is the Highlanders have got quality loose forward cover.
Dixon copped a head-knock during Tuesday’s training session and is going through the concussion protocol, opening the door for Dan Pryor to replace him on the bench for the team’s second match of the season.
Highlanders co-captain and fullback Ben Smith confirmed the injury ahead of his team’s captain’s run at Forysth Barr Stadium on Thursday, the day after it was revealed utility Richard Buckman could miss at least six weeks with his neck injury.
As a whole, the Highlanders are significantly healthier than the rest of the New Zealand franchises, whose alarming casualty lists reflect the increasingly physical nature of the game.
That could well change with the beefy, match-hardened Stormers rolling into town, desperate to complete their three-match tour of Australia and New Zealand with a win.
Just ask the Crusaders, who lost rugged loose forwards Jordan Taufua and Pete Samu, and firstfive eighth Richie Mo’unga to injury during their brutal 45-28 win against the South African franchise last Saturday.
‘‘I think we’ve just got to match that physicality that they bring and we’ve prepared for that, so that’s big,’’ Smith said.
‘‘We’re going to have to play smart rugby against them. A mixture of how we play against them will be important. But we’ve got to back our set-piece at times, too.’’
The 1-2 Stormers, who spent the majority of the week in Queenstown and didn’t arrive in Dunedin until Thursday, have got their own injury problems.
Already without lock Eben Etzebeth for the first half of the season, they lost JD Schickerling (torn bicep) late in last weekend’s match. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.
‘‘We’re going to miss him,’’ Stormers coach Robbie Fleck said.
‘‘He was outstanding on the weekend against three All Black locks. It was an unbelievable performance. Him and Cobus Wiese were standout players for us up front.’’
Electric wing Seabelo Senatla has been ruled out with a groin strain, while blindside flanker Cobus Wiese has succumbed to a shoulder injury and been replaced by Kobus van Dyk.
Smith, having watched the Stormers make inroads a couple of runners off the ruck against the Crusaders, has demanded his team fronts physically, but doesn’t underestimate their ability out wide.
‘‘Obviously, they’re a pretty physical team, but they back that up with some exciting backs that probably enjoy using the ball at times.
‘‘I think they’ll probably come down to the stadium, and they’ve got the kind of game I think they’ll
enjoy giving it a good crack as well,’’ he said.
Knocking over the Stormers and improving to 2-0 is paramount for the Highlanders, particularly when the next three games on the schedule read: Crusaders (home), Hurricanes (away), Chiefs (away).
After reviewing footage of their season-opening win against the Blues, the Highlanders trained three times during their bye week. A couple of things needed work, Smith said.
‘‘I think maybe there was just a little bit of things we tidied up around our defence. We probably missed a few opportunities with our attack, just getting in the right spots and being able to attack right across the field is probably a big one for us.’’