Highlanders coach puts heat on squad
The Highlanders are not planning for a Sam Whitelock-style return for Liam Squire, Elliot Dixon and Jackson Hemopo and head coach Aaron Mauger has instead spent the lockdown period giving his squad some hard truths about their preparation standards.
‘‘It’s been a good chance to assess what’s worked well for us, what hasn’t and where we need to be better,’’ a candid Mauger said on yesterday about the revised Super Rugby competition that kicks off on June 13.
‘‘That will be part of our initial reconnection when we get together. Probably the big one for this team is around what it takes to be a professional.
‘‘We have 16 new guys into our environment this year, and we weren’t at the level we needed to be early on. That’s not just in terms of performance but in how we prepare. So, consistency in our behaviours is certainly something we’ll be addressing.’’
The Highlanders won only one game out of six before the Super Rugby season was suspended in March, including two losses to the Sharks and Rebels in Dunedin, where they pride themselves on being hard to beat.
That has caused the coaching group led by Mauger to identify some of the poorer habits they saw earlier this year, but the head coach said he was encouraged by the players’ response.
‘‘A lot of messages have been dripped in and players have responded,’’ Mauger said.
‘‘Hopefully we’ll see them turn up in good nick on day one and ready to attack. We were really clear in what we expected of our boys when they return.’’
‘The Highlanders’ struggles have also prompted talk they could be in the market for former All Blacks Squire, Hemopo and Dixon, all of whom are now at a loose end with the Japan competition called off until 2021.
CEO Roger Clark played down that possibility yesterday.
‘‘That’s not likely to happen although we’ll probably make some announcements next week about a couple of players who may join our group,’’ Clark said. ‘‘They are guys from within New Zealand who for one reason or another weren’t available to play.’’
One player who could fit that bill is Otago star Vilimoni Koroi, who had already signed a three-year deal at the Highlanders and was due to make a full-time switch from Sevens to Super Rugby in 2021.
A position in the squad could open for Koroi with Mauger confirming that injury-cursed wing Tevita Nabura had been ruled out for the season, joining Thomas Umaga-Jensen, James Lentjes and Conor Garden-Bachop on the longterm injury list.
However, there was better injury news in other areas, particularly for young Otago hooker Ricky Jackson.
‘‘Ricky Jackson is looking likely,’’ Mauger said. ‘‘Hopefully we’ll see Ricky, he’ll be available for the early part of this competition.
‘‘Pari Pari Parkinson is fit and available from the start, which is great news, and Jona Nareki picked up that hip injury in Pretoria, but he’ll be ready to go.’’
Mauger also said the Highlanders understood that the coronavirus-enforced break had them given a second chance after a disappointing first half of the year.
‘‘It’s an exciting opportunity,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve seen a lot of growth in our guys.’’