Landers’ breakout star out for season

The Highlanders will be without their breakout star for the rest of the Super Rugby Aotearoa season.

Connor Garden-Bachop has been ruled out, with the outside back fracturing his wrist during their golden-point loss to the Chiefs.

Josh Ioane comes in at fullback tonight in Dunedin against the Blues for the lively 21-year-old, who had improved every week this season.

Garden-Bachop is facing a 12-week recovery and head coach Tony Brown said it was “really devastating”.

“He couldn’t partake last year because of a back operation, then played one game for Wellington and dislocated his elbow,” Brown said. “It’s a frustrating time for him. He’s obviously just starting to play really well and get recognised as a quality rugby player.

“So for him to not be able to play the rest of Super Rugby is a big blow for himself and a big blow for our team.”

Lock Pari Pari Parkinson has also been ruled out with the recurrence of an ankle injury and is replaced by Josh Dickson.

In other changes, Billy Harmon starts at openside flanker, while James Lentjes drops to the bench. Props Ayden Johnstone and Siate Tokolahi both also come into the starting line-up.

Although the Highlanders have been seemingly cursed by injury this year, Brown took a philosophical approach to the problem.

“That’s rugby — sometimes you get really lucky and you get through a campaign with hardly any injuries.

“Then sometimes you get a dozen, which is about how much we’ve got.”

The Blues, coming off a bye, have named a strong line-up.

It features a quartet of All Blacks props, with Karl Tu’inukuafe and Ofa Tuungafasi claiming the starting spots this week.

They also bring a handy loose forward trio of Hoskins Sotutu, Tom Robinson and Dalton Papalii. In the backline they have plenty of firepower, spearheaded by Rieko Ioane and Caleb Clarke.

Brown was expecting a tough game.

“They’re a quality rugby team. For us it’s around making sure we nail our stuff, I don’t think we got that right last week. We’re looking for a major improvement in our intensity.

“So if we can get our stuff right, we should do a lot better than what we did last week.”