Southlanders star at under-20s level
Two Southland products have played starring roles in a crushing win for the Highlanders under-20 team.
The Highlanders beat the Barbarians side 70-17 in their opening game in the Super Rugby Aotearoa under-20 tournament fixture in Taupo on Sunday.
Former Southland Boys’ High School first XV captain Sean Withy is leading the Highlanders under-20s and impressed in the first-up victory.
The openside flanker scored three tries, all from strong closerange runs, before he was subbed off after 57 minutes.
Withy was regarded as one of
Southland rugby’s rising stars when he was at Southland Boys’ before last year shifting to Dunedin to study.
In his first year out of school, Withy played for Otago in the National Provincial Championship.
First five-eighth Cameron Millar was another Southland product to star in the victory over the Barbarians.
Millar converted all of the Highlanders’ 10 tries and also impressed with ball in hand.
Millar initially made his mark in Eastern Southland where he led Gore High School to win Southland’s under-18 competition in 2019.
Last year he linked with Otago Boys’ where Millar yet again impressed and he is now playing
club rugby in Dunedin. Southland’s connection in the
Highlanders-Barbarians didn’t end there.
Contracted Stag Arese Poliko started at No 8 for the Highlanders before being subbed off at halftime.
The Invercargill Blues loose forward returned in the second half and also got himself on the scoresheet when he crashed over from a strong run.
Marist loose forward Aleki Saili was introduced at halftime but was forced off with an injury after just 10 minutes.
Other Southland products Harry Taylor and Thomas McKenzie featured in the Highlanders team while Harrison Morton and Troy McIvor were part of the Barbarians squad.
The assignment was a difficult one for the Barbarians given they game assembled only 48 hours before the game.
The Highlanders have turned their sights on their next fixture, against the Hurricanes on Wednesday, before taking on the Crusaders on Saturday to round out their three games in six days.
The tournament is being used as a selection tool for the New Zealand under-20 squad which will be coached by Tabai Matson.
Meanwhile, Southland rugby received a boost last week with Josh Moorby’s call-up to the Highlanders Super Rugby squad.
Stags coach Dale MacLeod has been vocal about Southland rugby’s need to have more players as part of Super Rugby setups to help with their development.