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Super Rugby Aotearoa: Highlanders player ratings vs Hurricanes

By Mike Rehu
Aaron Smith. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

The Highlanders named an unchanged starting XV after their plucky outing against the champion Crusaders outfit last weekend. Aaron Smith was celebrating his 150th game for the Southerners and Ash Dixon joined the centurion club.

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For the Hurricanes, who were on a hot streak of 5 wins in a row, Billy Proctor, Chase Tiatia and Jamie Booth were brought into the backline, Dane Coles was up front to captain in the absence of TJ Perenara.

Defying logic, the Hurricanes, a team who normally wear gold chose to wear their blue alternate strip against a team that wears blue. The Hurricanes were called back for three denied tries and Highlanders pushed out in the second half against the tiring visitors for a 38-21 win.

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After bursting on to the scene for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby 2019, the energetic flanker has caught the eye of rugby fans with his ability to get over the ball and handy support lines.

Video Spacer

After bursting on to the scene for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby 2019, the energetic flanker has caught the eye of rugby fans with his ability to get over the ball and handy support lines.

How did the winning side’s players rate in the final game of Super Rugby Aotearoa?

1. Ayden Johnstone – 7

Solid at scrum, some good distribution and running at first/second receiver. Off in 46th minute.

2. Ash Dixon – 7.5

Lineout maestro, genuine leader and a popular try-scorer off a rolling maul at 33 minutes. This week it was Josh McKay who was the recipient of his 22-metre long throw. Off in 56th minute.

3. Siate Tokolahi – 7

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Highlanders scrum stayed solid and both starting props averaged 2 metres a carry. Off in 46th minute.

4. Pari Pari Parkinson – 6

Obviously wasn’t 100% after last week, succumbed to his dodgy sticks again after 39 minutes.

5. Jack Whetton – 8

His dropped ball led to Aso’s try. Came back though with some good work around the park and major component in the Highlanders’ purring lineout. Classic tight forward’s run up the middle at 45 minutes for Collins try and top tackler. Off in 70th minute.

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6. Shannon Frizell – 6.5

His first-up tackle on Prinsep was a real “who’s your Daddy?’ moment. Relatively quiet game otherwise. Has become a solid lineout option. Had a nice little ding-dong with Ardie Savea around 68 minutes where he got bumped off by Savea then moments later crash tackled the Hurricanes number 8. Revenge was sweet!

7. Dillon Hunt – 7

Good work in tight exchanges in mopping up, solid on ‘D’ and kept Kirifi honest in a bonafide battle of the terriers at the breakdown.

8. Marino Mikaele-Tu’u – 7.5

Back to his effervescent best with ball in hand after a quiet shift last week. 47 metres off 6 carries but just 1 tackle. Off in 63rd minute.

9. Aaron Smith – 8

Is the real heartbeat of the team and led more like a statesman than a yappy dictator this week. Creates so much from the base and picks runners well. Off in 72nd minute.

10. Josh Ioane – 7

Good under the high ball, not completely confident in defence stationed on the wing at the set-piece. Always a threat at the line with ball in hand. Off in 62nd minute.

11. Jona Nareki – 7

Off at 5 minutes for some patching up, back on at 18. The team used his left boot well to get out of their 22. Great work up the middle for Michael Collins’ try.

12. Patelesio Tomkinson – 7

Good all-round game; he’s had a good, consistent season.

13. Michael Collins – 7.5

Is growing in confidence with more time in the 13 jersey. Made some real yards, 62 metres in 9 carries.

14. Josh McKay – 6.5

Just doesn’t seem to get the space he needs with ball in hand. Very evasive player, some good passing skills and tackles well.

15. Mitch Hunt – 7

Got himself involved in the line in the first try to Punivai. Showed he has some real pace with some velocity down the right flank to score at 61 minutes. Very solid player with few weaknesses.

Reserves:

16. Liam Coltman 6.5

On in 56th minute. Good turnover at 66 minutes to snuff out a Hurricanes attack.

17. Daniel Lienert-Brown – 7

On in 46th minute. Solid defence.

18. Jeff Thwaites – 7

On in 46th minute. Put in some good defence.

19. Manaaki Selby-Rickit – 7.5

All action figure after his introduction at 39 minutes. Some significant carries, top tackles and soared high at lineout time.

20. Teariki Ben-Nicolas – N/A

On in 63rd minute.

21. Folau Fakatava – N/A

On in 72nd minute.

22. Ngatungane Punivai – 7

Came on for 13 minutes in the first half, good introduction with a strong run then, moments later, scored a well-taken try. Then on again at 62nd minute, a bit more quiet in the second shift.

23. Tom Florence – 6

On in 70th minute and got one big hit in at 78 minutes. One for the future.

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J
Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

39 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

39 Go to comments
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