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'He scores a lot': Highlanders 'X-factor' winger returns for first start since 2021

jona-nareki-reds

The Highlanders’ Super Rugby Pacific season hangs in the balance over the final four rounds and with All Blacks to rest and two top-three teams to face, chances of making the top eight are looking grim for the tenth-placed team.

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One light amongst the darkness is the return of Jona Nareki, the Fijian-born flyer having been sidelined from Super Rugby since 2021 with knee, ankle and foot injuries.

In that 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season, Nareki was tied for the second-most tries scored while featuring in the top five for clean breaks and defenders beaten. Those statistics put his name in the same category as the likes of All Blacks Will Jordan, Caleb Clarke and Sevu Reece.

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The timely return could be just the boost that the Southland team need to extend their season into the playoffs.

“He’s an X-factor player. He scores a lot for us, and he’s accurate in his reads on defence, and he also has a pretty good left boot,” Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody said of Nareki, following the naming of his matchday 23 to face the Brumbies in Canberra.

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The 23 selected for the match are not Dermody’s top side, despite the time pressure and points needed to advance. The coach has instead opted to field a younger side and rest most of his All Blacks to ensure their fitness and availability for the final stretch.

23-year-old prop Saula Ma’u profits from the resting of the usual front row, the 140kg is in his second year with the club and will claim the second start of his Super Rugby career.

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“It will be a good test for him around his set piece. He’s got a chance to start against an international front row. He’s looking forward to it, and it’s a good challenge,” Dermody said of the promising youngster.

Aaron Smith is also rested and will see Folau Fakatava take up the No 9 jersey while Shannon Frizzel slides into the locks to partner Josh Dickson.

While not his familiar position, Frizzel was forced to switch to lock mid-game last week after an injury to Fabian Holland. While the change comes out of necessity, Dermody was full of praise for how the shift complimented the All Black’s game.

“Shannon did a great job for us last week. It sort of suited him. It got him into the middle of the field, where he got his hands on the ball a bit more, and he’s a pretty good lineout exponent.”

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AM 8 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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