Highlanders look for right balance
Ahead of their final regular season match against the Rebels today, the focus for the Highlanders is striking a perfect balance.
They’re guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, and there was no chance they’d host a quarter-final. So when they named their squad on Thursday with a host of stars missing, you’d be hard pressed to find someone generally surprised by it.
They can’t move up the ladder, but coach Aaron Mauger reinforced the importance of this game to his squad and how a good performance can set the tone in their bid to claim the Super Rugby title.
“We know we’re going to be on the road now, so [we’re] making sure the bulk of our team that are probably going to start next week are fresh and ready to attack that challenge as we move into playoff footy,” Mauger told Radio Sport.
“First thing’s first, we’ve got to really attack this game against the Rebels and build some momentum from a good performance into the finals. We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but we’re mindful of what we need to do and how we need to prepare for finals footy.”
The Highlanders will be without All Blacks Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Luke Whitelock for today’s match at Forsyth Barr Stadium, while loose forward Elliot Dixon, hooker Ash Dixon and midfielder Rob Thompson have also been rested.
Guaranteed to be heading on the road next week, likely to either be against the Lions in South Africa or Waratahs in Sydney, the Highlanders will have to win the title the hard way.
There is also a slim chance the Highlanders meet the Crusaders in Christchurch in their opening playoff game. Should the Rebels take a bonuspoint win over the Highlanders and the Jaguares beat the Sharks, the Highlanders would finish eighth.
And with two of the sides three first choice loose forwards sitting out the match, they’ll be running the trio of Shannon Frizell, James Lentjes and Liam Squire. They might not be a familiar trio in the pack for fans, but they’re up to the task, Mauger said.
“We’ve got a real luxury in the loose forwards department . . . it’s probably as good as any around the competition.”
The Rebels will be looking to secure a quarter-final spot for the first time.