Highlanders retool for semi-final
Onwards and upwards. That’s the attitude underpinning the Highlanders’ latest trip to South Africa’s highveld after Super Rugby’s reigning champions barely reached any high points in week one of the finals series.
The full-time score, a disruptive lineout and the last 10 minutes worth of unyielding defence were the positives taken from a 15-9 quarterfinal win over the Brumbies in Canberra, a display where character and resilience compensated for an otherwise drop in standard from the previous weekend’ s win over the Chiefs. A notoriously hard marker, head coach Jamie Joseph gave his team a ‘six’ after reviewing the opening play-off game and enforcing several changes before a 25-man squad made the comparatively short journey from Sydney to Johannesburg on Sunday.
Prop Siosiua Halanukonuka was the only player of five to return to Dunedin because of injury, damaged ankle ligaments means the Tongan international will take no further part in the title defence as Craig Millar is promoted.
Co-captain Shane Christie, lock Mark Reddish, midfield back Rob Thompson and Liam Coltman are selection-based casualties as Joseph rejigs his personnel for Sunday’s (NZ time) sudden death clash with the Lions at Ellis Park.
Flanker James Lentjes, locks Joe Wheeler and Alex Ainley, hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate and back-up playmaker Marty Banks – who makes a timely return from a hamstring injury – are now in contention to take on a resurgent South African side boosted further by an emphatic 42-25 victory over the Crusaders.
While the return of Italy-bound Banks was predictable as cover for Lima Sopoaga, the decision to send two of his most experienced forwards home – admittedly Christie and Coltman were both returning from lay-offs – illustrated Joseph’s ruthlessness.
‘‘We reviewed that performance and we’ve put that behind us,’’ he said. ‘‘We were fortunate to get through to the next stage. Already the boys are pretty keen to rectify that and go out there and play our style of footy against a very good Lions team.’’
While the legitimacy of the Sharks’ and Stormers’ presence in the top eight was questioned, justifiably, there is no doubt the Lions deserve to be in contention to join bitter rivals and neighbours the Bulls as South Africa’s only championship winners.
‘‘They beat the Chiefs on tour [36-32 in round two] and once they got back to South Africa they’ve gone from strength to strength.’’
Despite the Highlanders having to return to South Africa so soon after their road trip to Port Elizabeth and Buenos Aires earlier this month, Joseph was looking forward to the challenge of playing an opponent configured like a New Zealand team, rather than the limited, attritional Brumbies.
‘‘Unlike the other South African teams they play a running game of football, they can maul, they can scrum. They’ve got a total game.’’
A week after the Lions upset the Chiefs in Hamilton they lost 34-15 to the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, though Joseph preferred to dwell on the Highlanders’ last visit to Ellis Park in May last year when asked for a reference point.
That afternoon the Highlanders led 20-3 at the break before the Lions took the lead with 11 minutes to go and eventually won 28-23. Last season the Highlanders headed to Ellis Park after beating the Sharks in Dunedin, but the travel factor will not be an excuse this weekend.