With their season hanging in the balance, the struggling Highlanders have revealed that All Blacks Aaron Smith and Liam Coltman have returned to New Zealand and will miss the crucial game against the Jaguares in Argentina on Sunday (NZ time) as part of the controversial New Zealand Rugby player management plan.

Sio Tomkinson, Josh Dickson, Ethan De Groot, Folau Fakatava, Conan O'Donnell have all been called into the Highlanders squad as injury replacements.

Hooker Ash Dixon is set to captain the side in the No 2 jersey with Nathan Vella on the bench.

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@Stargazer said in Jaguares v Highlanders (round 7):

the struggling Highlanders have revealed that All Blacks Aaron Smith and Liam Coltman have returned to New Zealand

Jeez kick a man when he's down

Both teams returning from SA but the Jags should be too strong at home.

@Bovidae said in Jaguares v Highlanders (round 7):

Both teams returning from SA but the Jags should be too strong at home.

It would be a massive upset if the Highlanders could win without Aaron.

Yass fakatava

they really need to revisit the rest agreements they have with the RPA, some of the players with enforced rests are a joke!

Probably played less rugby in the past 12 months than they have in many years!

I can understand that they are trying to manage load and even potential load coming up IF they make the ABs again for these guys who played for the ABs last year, but jeez, guys like Coltman who are just fringe players need to be playing, more, not less!

Highlanders

1 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 2 Ash Dixon (c), 3 Siate Tokolahi, 4 Josh Dickson, 5 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 6 Shannon Frizell, 7 Dillon Hunt, 8 Marino Mikaele-Tu'u,
9 Kayne Hammington, 10 Mitchell Hunt, 11 Tima Fainga'anuku, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 13 Ngane Punivai, 14 Sio Tomkinson, 15 Josh Ioane

Reserves
16 Nathan Vella, 17 Ethan de Groot, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Will Tucker, 20 Teariki Ben-Nicholas, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Michael Collins, 23 Josh McKay

Coltman and Smith rested, plus this injury list:

James Lentjes, Jesse Parete, Pari Pari Parkinson, Tevita Nabura, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Jona Nareki, Ayden Johnstone, Rob Thompson, Ricky Jackson and Connor Garden-Bachop are all unavailable through injury

Good to see Tei in, but still the fucken dumbshits select the bench ten to start and fuck our best ten around. Hunt may do better with two other players running the backline, but I doubt it, especially without Smith. Bah.

The Highlanders will play in an empty stadium in Buenos Aires this weekend after the Jaguares announced their Super Rugby clash will be held behind closed doors.

@Bovidae said in Jaguares v Highlanders (round 7):

The Highlanders will play in an empty stadium in Buenos Aires this weekend after the Jaguares announced their Super Rugby clash will be held behind closed doors.

I wonder if that will help the landers? They need it!

@Stargazer what is Mauger up to? Ioane should sign with the Canes for next year, we need a first five and he obviously isn't getting game time at the Highlanders in his preferred position. I would be pissed off if I was him, especially knowing Cruden is around competing for the third All Black's first five position.

Does anyone know how long Ioane has signed with the Highlanders for?

Is Bryn Gatland injured? He wasn't listed as injured in that article

@Canes4life said in Jaguares v Highlanders (round 7):

@Stargazer what is Mauger up to? Ioane should sign with the Canes for next year, we need a first five and he obviously isn't getting game time at the Highlanders in his preferred position. I would be pissed off if I was him, especially knowing Cruden is around competing for the third All Black's first five position.

I expect them to pick either two 10s (RM and BB) or 3 (if they select Dmac as a 10 as well). I don't think there will be room for Cruden (or someone else) as a third first five, unless RM or BB gets injured or they want to develop a youngster in that position (and, obviously, Cruden isn't a youngster).

Does anyone know how long Ioane has signed with the Highlanders for?

His contract duration at the Landers hasn't been published, as far as I know, but if it's the same as with Otago, than it expires this year. Do you want both Sops and Ioane now? Greedy :grinning_face:

@Duluth Not sure. The last I've seen is him being named in the Bravehearts team that played on 22 February against Crusaders Dev XV.

@Stargazer no, Sops can stay in the UK, Ioane is the younger version. I'd welcome Otere Black aswell if he wants to get away from Barrett again.

Juan Cruz Mallia, Sebastian Cancelliere, Matias Moroni, Jeronimo de la Fuente (c), Santiago Carreras, Domingo Miotti, Felipe Ezcurra, Tomas Lezana, Marcos Kremer, Francisco Gorrissen, Lucas Paulos, Guido Petti, Lucio Sordoni, Agustin Creevy, Mayco Vivas

Reserves: Julian Montoya, Javier Diaz, Joel Sclavi, Matias Alemanno, Bautista Pedemonte, Gonzalo Bertranou, Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, Santiago Chocobares