Highlanders’ artillery back
The heavy artillery has arrived, but there’s no room for one of the competition’s leading tacklers.
Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger has welcomed back a mob of rested players, including ace All Blacks Ben Smith and Aaron Smith, for tomorrow’s quarterfinal against the Waratahs in Sydney.
Fellow All Black and No 8 Luke Whitelock, midfielder Rob Thompson, hooker Ash Dixon and loose forward Elliot Dixon are also back for the suddendeath match.
The re-introduction of six players, rested from last week’s regular season finale against the Rebels, comes as no surprise for the almost fully fit Highlanders.
However, the omission of openside flanker Dillon Hunt might raise a few eyebrows.
Hunt has started 13 of the Highlanders’ 16 games, making the third-most tackles (188) in Super Rugby this season. Only team-mates Whitelock (197) and Tom Franklin (191) have made more.
Mauger, as he did when the Highlanders played the Crusaders in Christchurch earlier this month, overlooked Hunt in favour of James Lentjes, who missed a chunk of the season with a shoulder injury.
‘‘We can only select 23,’’ Mauger said in Auckland yesterday.
‘‘It’s been a hotly contested position, the openside flanker position the last six to eight weeks, since Jimmy [Lentjes] came back from his injury. We just feel that what he’s got to bring to the game, in terms of energy and how we want to play, is best served this weekend.’’
Veteran Elliot Dixon and new All Black Shannon Frizell will provide loose forward cover from the bench. Minus prop Siate Tokolahi, who had knee surgery last week and is expected to be out for up to six months, lock Alex Ainley (ankle) and utility Richard Buckman (hamstring), Mauger had a full assortment to pick from.
The unavailability of Buckman opened the door for utility Matt Faddes to again make the match-day 23, pipping rookie Josh McKay, who impressed against the Rebels last week.
Faddes has been out of favour for much of Mauger’s first year in charge of the franchise, but has been rewarded with what will be his ninth appearance of the season, should he get off the pine.
Including a pre-season match in Queenstown, tomorrow’s quarterfinal at Allianz Stadium is the third match between the teams this year.
Hindered by an early red card to wing Tevita Nabura, the Highlanders were thrashed 41-12 in Sydney earlier this season, a result which ended a 40-match winning streak by Kiwi teams against Aussie opposition.
The Highlanders left for Sydney yesterday afternoon.
Should the Dunedin-based side beat the Waratahs, and the Jaguares beat the Lions in Johannesburg on Sunday morning, the Highlanders will host the Argentinian side in the semifinals next weekend.