Milestone for departing Highlander
Patrick Osborne’s time with the Highlanders is coming to an end, but not before he chalks up at least one more highlight
The Fijian-born wing will play his 50th match for the franchise in Dunedin tonight, when the Highlanders host the Stormers at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Osborne, an uncapped Crusader in 2012 and a Super Rugby winner with the Chiefs in 2013, has played for the Highlanders since 2014 but will leave New Zealand to play fulltime in Japan at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old will link up with the Kubota Spears for a second season when the dust settles on this year’s Super Rugby competition.
Osborne, who has been limited to just three games this year due to knee and rib injuries, will start his 50th match for the Highlanders on the left-wing.
In a career highlighted by winning a second Super Rugby title with the Highlanders in 2015, Osborne isn’t about to play down what tonight will mean to him.
‘‘Winning the Super Rugby title was one of the biggest, but playing my 50th game for the team is right up there next to it. That and probably beating the Crusaders and the Chiefs,’’ he said.
In addition to winning two Super Rugby titles, Osborne won five National Provincial Competition (NPC) titles with Canterbury between 2010-15.
His form in 2015 - and injuries to Waisake Naholo and Cory Jane -resulted in All Blacks coach Steve Hansen inviting him into camp to train with the squad.
However, he didn’t force his way into the team and went on to declare himself eligible for Fiji. He earned three test caps for his country last year and is in line to add to his tally in the June test window, when Fiji plays tests against Australia, Italy and Scotland.
Tonight’s match against the Stormers will mark the first time this season the injury-riddled Highlanders have named Osborne and All Blacks flyer Naholo on the wings together.
The pair formed a lethal combination the past couple of years, and the last time they got a crack at the Stormers - in Dunedin two years ago - they each bagged a double in a 39-21 win.
It was the Highlanders’ first win in seven attempts against the Stormers, who head into Friday night’s round 10 match on the back of a 57-24 trouncing by the Crusaders.
The 6-2 Stormers, leaders of the Africa 1 conference, have named former Highlanders midfielder Shaun Treeby on their bench for tonight’s match.
Treeby, a member of the 2015 title winning Highlanders, signed with the injury-hit South African side earlier this month but has not yet played.
‘‘I’m surprised that he went to the Stormers but it was good to see him in their team,’’ Osborne said of his former team-mate.
‘‘I caught up with him this morning at the stadium and it will be good to catch up fully after the game.’’
Treeby scored 10 tries for the Highlanders in five seasons and was negotiating a new deal with the franchise when he broke his ankle playing for Wellington in the 2015 NPC.
He joined the Hurricanes as injury cover for two weeks last year but did not play.