Highlanders and Chiefs in must-win mode
JAMIE Joseph knows how big Friday’s Super Rugby clash against the Chiefs in Dunedin is – but he’d prefer it if his players didn’t think too hard about it.
The Highlanders, on 38 points, lie second in the New Zealand conference (three south of the Crusaders) and fifth on the overall standings. A home victory in the return from the June hiatus would see them take a significant stride towards an unlikely postseason spot.
It’s not strictly must-win for Joseph’s men, but given they finish with visits to the Waratahs and Crusaders, it might as well be. They would not want to be looking at a maximum haul from that pair of potential roadblocks.
The defending champions are hardly in vintage form, having gone into the break with successive pastings by the Hurricanes in Wellington (45-8) and the Waratahs in New Plymouth (33-17).
On just 35 points, they almost certainly need to finish 3-0 to have a shot at a title hat-trick.
So it’s a big game under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday between two teams with playoff hopes, but little margin for error. Not that Joseph will be playing that up in this week’s buildup.
The Highlanders have excelled in their underdog role this season – they have already won four more matches than they managed all of last season – and their coach prefers to keep it that way.
‘‘It might sound like I’m ducking and diving, but I feel my players perform better without the pressure, because they haven’t had a lot of games like this in their careers,’’ Joseph said. ‘‘They understand the magnitude of the game, but they respond to not being rated. It’s a typical South Island mindset where they prefer to go under the radar.’’
Joseph hopes the success of Malakai Fekitoa in breaking into Charger: Highlander Phil Burleigh attacks the line in the 40-19 win over the NZ Barbarians in Invercargill on Friday night. the All Blacks from the Highlanders will encourage other young rising stars to consider the southern option.
Joseph has just signed on for another two years as head coach, and as well as trying to nudge his side into the playoffs this year, he understands the need to keep planning for the future.
Fekitoa has another year on his deal with the Highlanders and Joseph would dearly love another rising star to follow the young Aucklander’s decision to use the southern franchise as a springboard.
‘‘Probably the biggest gift you can give a player is a bit of belief in him. We’ve just given him some guidelines, a really good environment and some rules. He really has done the rest.
‘‘It was quite a long process with Malakai. He didn’t really know me, didn’t know the team, and didn’t know the area. It was a bit spooky for him but he’s relished the environment.’’
The Highlanders would love him to return off the back of his first-test start and carry that confidence into the biggest game of their season. They may need it.