Young fullback impresses
Highlanders coach Tony Brown hadn’t seen Connor Garden-Bachop play until Friday, but the fullback’s display against the Crusaders in Temuka must have caught the boss’ eye with Super Rugby Aotearoa just two weeks away.
Garden-Bachop was part of a promising Highlanders backline performance in the first half and his display has set down a marker for No 15 rivals Solomon Alaimalo and Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Alaimalo and Milner-Skudder are set to get game time against the Hurricanes in Alexandra on Friday but, with Covid-19 hanging over that pre-season fixture, Garden-Bachop may have put himself in the frame for the No 15 jersey against the Crusaders on Friday week.
The 21-year-old was a frequent threat with ball in hand against the Crusaders on Friday, particularly in the first half.
He showed good acceleration to twice make breaks on the outside, and was constantly buzzing around the ruck to try to inject himself into the game.
One kick error and an unsuccessful attempt to bring down Crusaders giant Tamaiti Williams blotted his copybook slightly, but there were far more positives than negatives.
During a halftime interview with Sky Sport, Highlanders No 10 Josh Ioane said Garden-Bachop had been ‘‘hungry’’ since the start of preseason, and his determination to have a positive impact on the game was evident.
The youngster looks to have good footwork and an eye for a gap, made some good decisions after contact and was secure under the high ball.
Accurate judgments are difficult to make on the basis of pre-season fixtures, but on the evidence of the Temuka fixture, Garden-Bachop has a promising future.
Chiefs recruit Alaimalo also has his eye on the fullback position, while Milner-Skudder offers a wealth of experience.
The Highlanders will also weigh up the balance of their back three, with livewire Jona
Nareki likely to grab the No 11 jersey.
Nareki scored a nice try from a Folau Fakatava kick against the Crusaders and looked menacing with ball in hand, but is a relatively small back-three option.
Both Alaimalo and wing/midfielder Ngantungane Punivai have height and tip the scales at 100kg, making them strong options to join Nareki in the back three, but Garden-Bachop has added a bit of bulk and looked comfortable with the physical aspects of the game against the Crusaders.
Garden-Bachop, the younger brother of Hurricanes No 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, missed the entire 2020 Super Rugby season due to a back injury.
He can also play on the wing and the increased competition among the outside backs at the Highlanders this year will please Brown.
The attritional nature of the competition guarantees that the Highlanders will need to use their depth, and in Garden-Bachop, Alaimalo, Nareki and Freedom Vahaakolo – who played in the second half against the Crusaders – there looks be more cutting edge than last year.
New No 13 Fetuli Paea also performed sharply against the Crusaders in the first 40 minutes, forming a physical midfield combination with Sio Tomkinson.
That pair look locked in to face the Crusaders in round one, with powerhouse option Thomas Umaga-Jensen failing to take his chance in the second half.