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Highlanders dealt major blow as two key players set for lengthy sideline spell

Shannon Frizell. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

The Highlanders may be consigned to being without two of their key players for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

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The Dunedin-based franchise confirmed on Tuesday that All Blacks flanker Shannon Frizell and promising lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit will both be sidelined for eight weeks with knee injuries.

Both players left the field injured during their side’s 37-17 win over Moana Pasifika at Forsyth Barr Stadium last Friday, their first victory of the year, with Frizell lasting less than two minutes before being forced from the match.

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Highlanders head coach Tony Brown feared the worst in the aftermath of the win, predicting he had lost both players – who has labelled as irreplaceable – for the season.

Those fears have been realised as, provided Frizell and Selby-Rickit recover without hitch, neither player will be available until the semi-final stage of the competition.

Whether the Highlanders make it that deep into Super Rugby Pacific remains to be seen, especially as they only have one win from seven matches thus far this season.

That lowly record leaves them in 10th spot, although they sit only five points astray from a play-offs place leading into their final match against Kiwi opposition (the Hurricanes) this weekend before a six-match stretch against Australian teams.

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News of Frizell’s interest will be of particular interest for the All Blacks given the 16-test international’s impressive form this year.

With competition for loose forward spots in Ian Foster’s squad fierce across the country, Frizell’s injury may prove to be costly ahead of New Zealand’s three-test series against Ireland in July.

More positively for the Highlanders, flanker Billy Harmon and midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen are both expected to return from injury as early as this weekend.

Umaga-Jensen, one of the stars of the season for the Highlanders, hasn’t been sighted since injuring his groin against the Blues in Albany last month, while Harmon hasn’t played at all this year after undergoing shoulder surgery last year.

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However, both players are set to be available for selection this week when the Highlanders host the Hurricanes in Dunedin on Saturday.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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