Joseph backs Fekitoa for semi
RUGBY: Having bounded to the defence of Malakai Fekitoa, Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph then flicked his strike midfielder a subtle message by saying it is time to ignite his A-game.
Fekitoa, named to start at second five-eighth for the Super Rugby semifinal against the Lions tomorrow morning (NZT), may not be in the most convincing form but Joseph remains optimistic he still has the ability to twist the attacking switch at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Although listed as the competition’s leading offloader, Fekitoa has been less prominent with his running game since Super Rugby resumed after the June tests.
When the Lions’ beat the Crusaders 42-25 in the quarterfinal last weekend their midfield pairing of Janse van Rensburg and Lionel Mapoe tapped into their powerful ball carrying skills to dominate the confrontation against David Havili and Ryan Crotty.
Searching for soft points in the Highlanders’ defensive line, starting with their midfield duo of Fekitoa and rookie centre Matt Faddes, is their next task.
All Black Fekitoa has proved he can turn a game by using his powerful legs to break tackles and get in behind the defence, and Joseph will be hoping the the dry ball in Jo’burg helps him rediscover that part of his game.
‘‘He is obviously playing in a new position and it is taking him a bit of time for him to get used to 12,’’ Joseph said. ‘‘He has done that because of the skills and speed of Matt Faddes who is a new boy . . . Malakai, as you know, is a biggame player and Saturday is a big game. I think he is ready for a big one.’’
So there you have it. Joseph seems confident Fekitoa can produce a blinder and give the Highlanders an opportunity to defend their title in the grand final in Dunedin or weekend.
However, Joseph, a former back-rower who made his last test appearance for the All Blacks in the World Cup final at Ellis Park in 1995, knows this game is about much more than just a midfield battle. Wellington next
Much will hinge on whether the Highlanders can claim enough possession against the beefy Lions pack and construct their usual efficient game plan of using kicks from Lima Sopoaga, Ben Smith and Aaron Smith to plant the ball in their opponents’ half before flooding the ball carriers in an attempt to strike from turnovers.
Under Joseph the Highlanders have perfected the art of kicking first and then asking questions; the statistics, which show they kick the ball more than any other side, can’t be ignored.
‘‘What the stats don’t say is where we kick, and we tend to hold the ball later in the match when the game is coming to a crunch,’’ Joseph noted.
‘‘I think the Lions are similar in many ways, so there will certainly be an aerial battle going on in parts of the game and there will certainly be players from both teams wanting to attack with the ball in hand as well.’’
That tactic also ensures the forwards don’t get too tired. By naming a six-two split on the bench, Joseph clearly wants his side to increase the tempo and try and expose the Lions’ flagging defence in the final quarter.
Countering the Lions’ scrum will also be a priority, and it is likely the Highlanders will aim to quickly spit the ball out of their set piece.
‘‘They really taught the Crusaders a lesson last week, I felt, with the scrum and that was a big surprise,’’ Joseph said. ‘‘So they have got some capable athletes at the set piece. As you know they play a wide, expansive game and are very quick as well.
‘‘We are going to have to be ready for all sorts of things and that is what we have been preparing for on defence.’’