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Highlanders boss Tony Brown lifts the lid on decision to bench Aaron Smith for Chiefs clash

(Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

Highlanders head coach Tony Brown says the decision to demote co-captain Aaron Smith to the bench for Friday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa match against the Chiefs isn’t a case of dropping his star man, but rather a case of promoting Folau Fakatava.

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Fakatava, the promising young halfback out of Hawke’s Bay, has been named to start for the Highlanders for the first time since joining the franchise as a 19-year-old two years ago.

In doing so, he takes the place of Smith, who will start from the reserves bench as Brown aims to give Fakatava extensive game time to help realise his highly-touted potential.

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“It’s a good opportunity for Folau,” Brown said. “He’s had a good pre-season, did well off the bench last Friday night, so it’s his opportunity to see what he can do as a starting No. 9, and we’ll see what Aaron can do off the bench.

“Aaron’s obviously the world’s best halfback, but we wanted to always rotate those two guys in the first two games, so it’s a massive opportunity for Folau.”

The decision to swap Smith’s and Fakatava’s match day roles comes a day after it was announced the former signed a two-year contract extension with New Zealand Rugby [NZR] that will see him through to the 2023 World Cup.

Speaking to media on Tuesday in the wake of that announcement, Smith said his workload will need to be managed between now and that World Cup if he is to feature at the tournament in France.

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The 32-year-old has been used heavily by the Highlanders throughout his career and is just two games away from eclipsing Ben Smith’s record for most Highlanders appearances of 153 matches.

During that time, the livewire halfback started in most of the games he played and stayed on the park for the majority for each of those matches.

Smith’s presence was particularly felt in last year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign, where he started in every match and was a contender for the tournament’s MVP award.

That’s how influential he can be for the Highlanders, but the 97-test veteran said he can’t be so heavily depended on in Super Rugby if he is to make the cut for the next World Cup.

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“I can’t do what I did in Super Rugby Aotearoa last year and play 78 minutes every week, throwing my body into hell and hoping I’m going to get there. That is just not fathomable. At the end of Aotearoa last year, I was a broken man,” Smith said.

That’s partly the reason why Fakatava has been handed starting duties in Hamilton this week. The other side of the equation is that the Tongan-born starlet needs game time if he is to stick around with the Highlanders beyond this year.

While the announcement of Smith’s re-signing with NZR is a vital coup for the All Blacks and Highlanders, the domino effect of that acquisition is that Fakatava may be forced to look elsewhere for playing time.

Widely regarded as the best up-and-coming halfback in the country, Fakatava is off-contract with the Highlanders this year and is in hot demand throughout New Zealand, as Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark confirmed to Stuff on Tuesday.

Losing Fakatava to a rival club would be as significant for the Highlanders as Smith’s re-commitment to the franchise, but for polar opposite reasons.

That led Brown to indicate through pre-season that the youngster is primed for a more prominent role this year.

“Folau had a great Mitre 10 Cup and he’s probably opened the door for himself just by the way he’s performed,” Brown said ahead of the Highlanders’ first pre-season match against the Crusaders in Temuka last month.

“We’ve got the best halfback in the world in Aaron Smith and Folau can offer something a little bit different to Aaron, so hopefully he continues with that same form and then he can be a real impact option for us off the bench.

“Then when we do need to give Aaron a bit of a break, Folau can go out there and start a game of rugby without too much of a disruption to the team.”

With Smith eager to preserve himself for the upcoming World Cup, it seems now is the right time to give him that break Brown mentioned three weeks ago and open the proverbial door to Fakatava.

Don’t expect the Chiefs match to be the only time this year the duo will chop and change roles within the match day side as the Highlanders need to sell Fakatava, who Clark described to Stuff as a “10-year player” for the club, a vision to keep him on board.

Fakatava told the New Zealand Herald ahead of last year’s Moana Pasifika clash against the Maori All Blacks that he needs game time at Super Rugby level if he is to realise his lofty potential.

Given Smith isn’t moving until after 2023, Fakatava may decide his Super Rugby future lies elsewhere, but the Highlanders’ decision to start him this week is an indication he is a valued squad member who is now in a position to demand starting honours.

That could prove crucial in their quest to retain Fakatava, who will be Smith’s successor beyond 2023 should he decide to stay in Dunedin in the years ahead.

It’s at Forsyth Barr Stadium where he could come to form a lethal halves partnership with Josh Ioane, who has been named to start at first-five against the Chiefs after working well with Fakatava from the bench in last week’s 26-13 defeat to the Crusaders.

Like Fakatava, Ioane has the potential to become a franchise player for the Highlanders, and the 25-year-old playmaker said he is excited to start alongside the youngster at FMG Stadium Waikato.

“Really happy for Folau. When he first came into the environment, everyone saw how good of a player he was. I feel like everyone in New Zealand is just starting to see what we saw years ago,” Ioane told media on Friday.

“He’s definitely more confident coming into this year and I’m excited to play with him.”

Brown said Ioane’s inclusion in this week’s team, which has pushed last week’s No. 10 Mitch Hunt to fullback at the cost of new recruit Solomon Alaimalo, is well-deserved after a delayed beginning to the campaign.

“Josh was a late starter in our pre-season. Now he’s had two 40-minute performances, so we feel as though it’s time for him to start again and see what he can do for the 80 minutes.”

Super Rugby Aotearoa is available to watch live and on-demand on RugbyPass for subscribers in the UK, Ireland, France, Singapore and many more territories across the world who hold a tournament pass.

Highlanders team to face the Chiefs in Hamilton

1. Daniel Lienert-Brown
2. Ash Dixon (co-c)
3. Siate Tokolahi
4. Josh Dickson
5. Jack Regan
6. Shannon Frizell
7. Billy Harmon
8. Marino Mikaele-Tu’u
9. Folau Fakatava
10. Josh Ioane
11. Jona Nareki
12. Patelesio Tomkinson
13. Ngatungane Punivai
14. Connor Garden-Bachop
15. Mitch Hunt

Reserves:

16. Liam Coltman
17. Josh Hohneck
18. Jeff Thwaites
19. Manaaki Selby-Rickit
20. Liam Squire
21. Aaron Smith (co-c)
22. Solomon Alaimalo
23. Hugh Renton

Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:

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R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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