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Former England international set to coach in Super Rugby

After a sixth-placed finish in the overall Super Rugby standings in 2018 – fourth-placed in the ultra-competitive New Zealand conference – Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger has been tinkering with his coaching staff, in the hopes of chasing down the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Chiefs.

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As stands, the former Leicester Tigers head coach has Mark Hammett as an assistant coach, Glenn Delaney as defence coach and Clarke Dermody as scrum coach. Hammett is the former Cardiff Blues director of rugby, Delaney held the same role at Nottingham before becoming forwards coach at London Irish, whilst Dermody spent time at Irish as a player in the late 2000’s.

In a coaching staff full to the brim with experience of the northern hemisphere game, Mauger is not afraid to add even more.

Continue reading below…

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The Highlanders have announced that former England and British and Irish Lions centre Riki Flutey is set to come onboard in January as the franchise’s skills coach, as he replaces the Sunwolves-bound Cory Brown.

Flutey, 38, won 14 caps for England, as well as starting in the final test of the Lions’ 2009 tour of South Africa. He helped the invitational side to victory over the Springboks in that test, a match which gave Flutey the then unique accolade of having played both for and against the Lions, having taken them on with the Maori All Blacks four years earlier in 2005.

He featured for both London Irish and London Wasps during his time in English rugby, which followed a stint in Super Rugby with the Hurricanes, before he finished up his career with the Ricoh Black Rams in Japan.

On the opportunity to cut his coaching teeth at a higher level with the Highlanders, Flutey is enthusiastic.

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“I am absolutely honoured to have the opportunity to join the Highlanders for their 2019 campaign. It’s a great chance for me to join an exceptional group of coaches and players. I look forward to immersing myself in the team culture and getting the season underway.”

Watch: Exceptional Stories: Ian McKinley

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Nickers 26 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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