I feel like we’re on the right track: Mauger
Josh Ioane wasn’t gift-wrapped the Highlanders No 10 jersey after the coronavirus lockdown ended – he had to earn it.
Challenged by his coaches to get fitter, Ioane turned up on day one of training after isolation and ran a personal best in the Bronco test.
As the Highlanders prepare to host the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium tonight in the opening game of Super Rugby Aotearoa, Ioane’s improvement sums up the clearer sense of purpose in Dunedin after a poor start to the year.
‘‘This is by far the strongest 23 we’ve been able to select,’’ said coach Aaron Mauger.
‘‘It’s quite exciting for us. We’ve still got a bit of work to do but I feel like we’re on the right track, and we’ll get a true indication of where we are at on Saturday night.’’
There is certainly no chest beating at Highlanders HQ. Mauger said the Highlanders were off the pace prelockdown and the Chiefs will begin the game on Saturday as favourites, despite their injury woes.
However, there is a belief at the Highlanders that a fitter squad has allowed the coaches to spend more time actually coaching, rather than conditioning the squad.
Mauger put the players’ improved attitude down to a number of factors: perspective gained during the Covid19 experience; a determination to right the wrongs of earlier in the year; and some good old-fashioned fear of being cut from the
Highlanders’ squad.
‘‘I think the Covid challenge for a lot of our guys made them realise how lucky they are,’’ Mauger said. ‘‘It’s certainly something we focused on as a group, around being grateful.
‘‘So many people are worse off than us. We were talking about coming back to a competition, coming back to a job, where a lot of other people weren’t quite as fortunate.
‘‘I think that motivated our guys to make the most of this opportunity. Some of our guys are playing for contracts. We were pretty average in the first part of the year so there’s motivation there.
‘‘Lots of little things aided how we fronted up. There’s certainly a different feel in this group.’’
Internal competition is another factor. Mauger revealed that Ngane
Punivai was pushing very hard for the No 13 jersey before he picked up a concussion in training, so Rob Thompson will need a big game to keep his place in the starting XV.
Similar mini-battles are happening throughout the squad, and new wing Sam Gilbert pushed ahead of others by rocking up at training three weeks ago, asking all the right questions and performing when put under pressure.
Tactically, the Highlanders aren’t likely to change too many things. They are a team that likes to kick the ball in a bid to regain it in the parts of the field they want to attack from, so Aaron Smith, Ioane and Mitch Hunt are likely to put boot to ball.
That will put the onus on their defence to come up with some dominant tackles.