Highlanders happy to give youth a chance
Clayton Mcmillan is partial to soaking up the rays and sinking a few Fiji Bitters, but it’s the taste of home which he’s savouring this weekend.
And so the flavour of Waikato Draught, on a crisp Hamilton Saturday night, should do just fine for the Chiefs coach if his side refinds winning ways in its Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Fijian Drua.
Having started the season with a bang with a home win over the Crusaders, then a thrashing of the Brumbies in the Super Round in Melbourne, last year’s runners-up suffered a surprise slip-up to the Reds in Brisbane last Saturday.
That, coupled with the Drua coming off a 20-10 win over the Crusaders in Lautoka, has the Chiefs on high alert, in a competition looking a lot more open than in previous years.
But the big elephant in the room, of course, is the Drua’s form at home compared to their form on the road. It’s like Mick Byrne’s troops are a completely different challenge depending on whether they’re lining up in the heat and humidity of Suva or Lautoka, or the clement climes of elsewhere.
Try these sobering numbers, for size. Up against the five Kiwi teams, the Drua have a 3-3 win-loss record when playing in Fiji, for an average scoreline of 25-24 against them.
Against those sides when playing outside Fiji? The Drua are 0-7, for an average losing score of a whopping 50-12.
“They are a hard beast to stop at home,” admitted Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-brown.“i know Donk [Mcmillan] loves going to Fiji and having a few Fiji Bitters, so it’s probably good for him not to go there this weekend.”
Mcmillan wasn’t about to play down the good times to be had on the island nation, nor the significance of getting to play the
Drua away from their own backyard.
“I must admit, it’s probably one of the first things I look at when I look at the draw,” he said. “On one hand I’d love to go over to Fiji and enjoy their hospitality, but it’s a bloody tough place to play.”
In saying that, the coach feels the Drua have also demonstrated some improvements with their road game, and mentality, and knows if his side clocks off at any stage, it could easily be punished.
As Lienert-brown said: “I always think if you could breed a rugby player, it’d probably be a Fijian rugby player – they’re sort of born to play the game.”
Averaging not just the most carry metres and linebreaks of any side through three rounds, the Drua went into the weekend also top for scrum success and goalkicking, so the makings are there for a more well-rounded unit.
It should all be enough for the Chiefs to not take anything for granted, and respond to last weekend’s loss which Lienert-brown termed “a bit of a kick up the arse”.
“It certainly sharpens the axe,” Mcmillan
What: Super Rugby Pacific, Chiefs v Fijian Drua
Where, when: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton; today, 7.30pm
Coverage: Live on Sky Sport 1, live updates on Stuff from 7.15pm.
Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Daniel Rona, Anton Lienert-brown, Rameka Poihipi, Damian Mckenzie, Cortez Ratima, Luke Jacobson (capt), Kaylum Boshier, Samipeni Finau, Jimmy Tupou, Manaaki Selby-rickit, Reuben O’neill, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Bradley Slater, Ollie Norris, George Dyer, Josh Lord, Tom Florence, Xavier Roe, Josh Ioane, Quinn Tupaea
Fijian Drua: Ilaisa Droasese, Selestino Ravutaumada, Iosefo Masi, Michael Naitokani, Junior Ratuva, Isaiah Armstrongravula, Simione Kuruvoli, Meli Derenalagi (capt), Vilive Miramira, Etonia Waqa, Leone Rotuisolia, Mesake Vocevoce, Jone Koroiduadua, Mesulame Dolokoto, Haereiti Hetet. Reserves: Zuriel Togitama, Emosi Tuqiri, Samuela Tawake, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Elia Canakaivata, Peni Matawalu, Kemu Valetini, Taniela Rakuro. said. “What we know about this competition is that it evolves quickly, teams do an awful lot of analysis, and so you probably can get away with running some similar stuff for two to three weeks and then you need to change the dial somewhat so that you’re always keeping your competitors on their toes and keeping your own environment fresh, challenging everybody to learn.
“We’re not in this business to lose, and it always hurts when it happens, but there’s always a silver lining, and there’s some things that were put under the spotlight.’’
Three things emerged from the Highlanders this week as coach Clarke Dermody, captain Billy Harmon and No 10 Cameron Millar addressed the formidable challenge coming from the Brumbies today.
First, the Brumbies have moved far enough away from a traditionally heavy set-piece game to justify mobility over size in the Highlanders’ selections.
Second, Millar was being targeted to start this game weeks ago, with the Southland product admitting that he had been given Brumbies clips to study while the Highlanders were in Australia facing the Blues and Waratahs.
Third, the young players – there are 10 in the matchday squad who are 23 or younger – have been told that the Highlanders are their team now: go out and own it.
Those three factors show much strategic thinking goes into team selections, and it is not without risk: the Brumbies are the favourites with punters to win the game.
However, the Highlanders know that they can’t turn their 13 high-performance graduates into 30-40-game Super Rugby players without pushing them on to the big stage at some point, and that time is now.
Harmon said of Millar, who will be making just his second start: “We back him 100%. Everyone knows the talent he has, he just probably hasn’t had enough of a crack.
“So, this is his chance and we’re confident that he’s going to do an unreal job for us.”
And here was Dermody on Jack Taylor, the 20-year-old hooker with the baby face and genuine turn of pace: “We’re confident because of the pre-season he’s had, and the start of the season he’s had exposure to game time.
“He toured with us and he was training really well over there with us [in Australia].
“He’s a different hooker to both Henry [Bell] and Ricky [Jackson]. He’s probably a bit more mobile, a bit faster around the field. When you look at the Brumbies and how they play, it’s going be a good game for him.”
However, it’s arguably the selection of Nikora Broughton, 22, at No 8 that really
What: Super Rugby Pacific, Highlanders v Brumbies
Where, when: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin; today, 4.35pm
Coverage: Sky Sport 1, live updates on Stuff
Highlanders: Jacob Ratumaitavukikneepkens, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Tanielu Tele’a, Sam Gilbert, Martin Bogado, Cameron Millar, Folau Fakatava; Nikora Broughton, Billy Harmon (capt), Tom Sanders, Max Hicks, Fabian Holland, Saula Ma’u, Jack Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Henry Bell, Ayden Johnstone, Jermaine Ainsley, Oliver Haig, Sean Withy, James Arscott, Ajay Faleafaga, Connor Garden-bachop.
Brumbies: Tom Wright, Andy Muirhead, Len Ikitau, Tamati Tua, Corey Toole, Noah Lolesio, Ryan Lonergan; Rob Valetini, Jahrome Brown, Tom Hooper, Cadeyrn Neville, Nick Frost, Sefo Kautai, Billy Pollard, Blake Schoupp. Reserves: Lachlan Lonergan, James Slipper, Rhys Van Nek, Darcy Swain, Rory Scott, Harrison Goddard, Declan Meredith, Ollie Sapsford. provides the clearest insight into the Highlanders’ thinking.
With Hugh Renton injured, an obvious solution would have been to move Tom Sanders to No 8 and restore Sean Withy to the No 6 jersey, but Dermody has opted for the Bay of Plenty loose forward with the skills of a back.
Harmon’s mind went back to Broughton’s performance against the Fjian Drua in Dunedin last year.
“[We want] for him to just have a crack, and back himself,” Harmon said.
“... that Fijian Drua game, he was called in the last minute – I think Hugh had gone down in the warmup – and played unreal.
“He ended up setting a try for Cam Millar with a wee chip through in the last minutes.
“I think that just shows his ability on attack, what he can do. He just backs himself and has that X-factor.”