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Highlanders spring playmaking surprise as All Blacks star returns for Super Rugby Aotearoa season-opener

By Alex McLeod

23 Feb 2021

(Photo by Teaukura Moetaua/Getty Images)

The Highlanders have sprung a playmaking surprise for the Super Rugby Aotearoa season-opener against the Crusaders in Dunedin on Friday.

Mitch Hunt has been named to start at No. 10 ahead of one-test All Blacks pivot Josh Ioane, who is on the bench, while young outside back Connor Garden-Bachop has been handed his first start at this level.

The 21-year-old has been named on the right wing, and will join fullback Solomon Alaimalo, openside flanker Billy Harmon and Irish lock Jack Regan as the debutants in the run-on side.

What the Farmlands Cup means to Temuka | Crusaders vs Highlanders pre-season

A further intriguing selection decision comes in the midfield, with Ngatungane Punivai selected at centre in place of the injured Fetuli Paea, who starred for the Highlanders in their pre-season matches against the Crusaders and Hurricanes.

He joins Patelesio Tomkinson in the midfield, while there are a further two debutants and four capped All Blacks, including Ioane, in the reserves.

Returning loose forward Liam Squire has shaken off a minor injury concern and is primed to make his first Highlanders appearance since 2019 from the bench, with Shannon Frizell and Marino Mikaele-Tu’u winning starting spots.

Squire joins Ioane, Liam Coltman and Bryn Evans as internationally-capped reserves, with the latter in line to make his Highlanders debut alongside Tasman flanker Hugh Renton.

Elsewhere, reserve loosehead prop Josh Hohneck will also mark his long-awaited return to the Highlanders after four seasons playing in England.

Veteran halfback Aaron Smith and experienced hooker Ash Dixon will co-captain the side.

Highlanders team to face the Crusaders on Friday

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. Aaron Smith (co-c)
10. Mitch Hunt
11. Jona Nareki
12. Patelesio Tomkinson
13. Ngatungane Punivai
14. Connor Garden-Bachop
15. Solomon Alaimalo

Reserves:

16. Liam Coltman
17. Josh Hohneck
18. Jeff Thwaites
19. Bryn Evans
20. Liam Squire
21. Folau Fakatava
22. Josh Ioane
23. Hugh Renton

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Comments on RugbyPass

GM 5 minutes ago

Ireland lose Tadhg Furlong for All Blacks showdown - report

Maybe. Furlong's scrummaging has been in decline for a while. But I'm not sure whether Bealham is going to cut it against De Groot or Williams.

2 Go to comments

LN 9 minutes ago

Ex-international says Ireland 'licking their lips' ahead of facing All Blacks

Ireland have dominated the All Blacks in recent history yet in the last 6 games they’ve both won 3 each. Last 10 they both have won 5 each. Wonder how these pundits come up with these storylines

14 Go to comments

Willie 12 minutes ago

Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

I thought Gardner was inconsistent and myopic. Add his incessant and mostly unnecessary chatter it, was woeful refereeing. Glad he cannot referee the Wallabies.

92 Go to comments

JW 27 minutes ago

'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

HAHAHAHA typical.. there is no where near 90% of the top players in Europe Nick. Those playing in Brazil and Argentina still are probably better that 90% of the none top 5 european leagues.

Even just because these australians are in Europe, does not make them better than those at home. And that goes for nearly all the nations with heavy representation in europe.

What you're trying to say is europe is were 90% of the money in football is, that would get your point across better.

80 Go to comments

B 33 minutes ago

Ex-international says Ireland 'licking their lips' ahead of facing All Blacks

Scott Robertson wants his men to push through and sight their targets to help minimise errors from rushed and frustrating brain explosions.

This test match will highlight if the entire coaching staff can select from the All Blacks sqaud, a team capable of producing the necessary and silencing their critics.

Go the All Blacks...looking to have the rub of green again vs Ireland... onwards and upwards.

14 Go to comments

Nickers 37 minutes ago

Records show All Blacks' greatest rugby adversary is now Ireland

You brought it up. Speaking of which what about the time Heaslip got red carded before red cards were cool for repeatedly kneeing McCaw in the head? Such integrity. What a role model. But it’s not filthy when Irish players do it right?

22 Go to comments

JWH 41 minutes ago

Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

I meant to say I cannot imagine myself, or any Kiwi rugby fan, supporting a team which plays rugby similarly to SA or ENG.

To be fair, the attack really hasn't had time to show itself off yet, just little snippets of what is to come. Offloads and draw and pass seem pretty important to it, and I think Razor is trying to build that identity he had at the Crusaders: strong forwards and setpiece, backed by a magical backline which could produce results.

92 Go to comments

JWH 46 minutes ago

Ireland lose Tadhg Furlong for All Blacks showdown - report

THAT IS HUGE. I never like to see a player injured, but this could really help the ABs at scrum time.

2 Go to comments

Utiku Old Boy 47 minutes ago

Records show All Blacks' greatest rugby adversary is now Ireland

Nobody was "attacking" Ireland or France in this thread - let alone Scotland for coming 16th. RWC's, regardless of the draw, still boil down to the best teams at the business end (Quarter Finals). From there, it is win or go home. Also your false claim that I implied Ireland's current success is due to "chance" is also fantasy. You are making things up again because of your propensity to perceive "disrespect" from all and sundry. I don't think you represent Irish rugby very well.

22 Go to comments

Bruiser 51 minutes ago

Ex-international says Ireland 'licking their lips' ahead of facing All Blacks

You got too much time on your hands dude

14 Go to comments

JD 1 hour ago

Former Bok boss Allister Coetzee replaced by legend as head of Namibia

Maybe a stupid question but why aren't they playing in the Currie Cup?

3 Go to comments

mJ 1 hour ago

Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

When Richie Mo’unga was a schoolboy Razor went and watched him play a game, Mo’unga said he had an awesome game scored a couple of tries and made a couple of try saving tackles but after the game Razor came up to him and said you missed a tackle, you won’t play for me if you miss tackles. Richie was looking down and he said look at me when I’m talking to you and then said you need to be confident and brave and stick your head in there. I’m not a AB fan but Razor is a modern day great coach who brought Mo’unga through and now he can’t get the benefit of using him with the ABs. But what I admire with Razor is he’s sticking to his guns, he’s a trend setter not a follower and he’ll get this team back to number 1. He’s no fool, he a straight talking guy and he drives high standards. He’ll change the game to an attacking mindset again and then teams will be chasing their tales trying to catch up.

92 Go to comments

Another 1 hour ago

Records show All Blacks' greatest rugby adversary is now Ireland

Humble teams don’t apparently say their opponents captain is s**t and can’t ruck, but there you go.

22 Go to comments

Another 1 hour ago

Records show All Blacks' greatest rugby adversary is now Ireland

‘We don’t like arrogant teams in Ireland” is just another way of saying you have a chip on your shoulder.

22 Go to comments

Another 1 hour ago

Records show All Blacks' greatest rugby adversary is now Ireland

Records show that International rugby didn’t begin 8 years ago. South Africa are New Zealand’s greatest rival.

Ireland are the current World Number 1 and this is well earned. But that is ephemeral too. Ireland lose one match and it’s gone. Legacies take decades and generational success to make.

22 Go to comments

RedWarrior 1 hour ago

Ex-international says Ireland 'licking their lips' ahead of facing All Blacks

Maybe Ireland have this one big game to target whereas NZ had to divide prep between 3. We will see. But NZ can score a few tries out of nothing and make it very difficult to pull the scores back.

14 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Cultural reason behind divisive England trait explained by ex-Bok coach

The Saracens players are the ones who brought this habit into the England team and to be fair they rarely lose, they have a very strong winning culture. It is however very embarrassing when you suck.

3 Go to comments

ColinK 1 hour ago

Ex-international says Ireland 'licking their lips' ahead of facing All Blacks

Yes but it will be very hard game for the ABs, Ireland will want some pay back and they are a fine team who can play the running dynamic game like we do. It was 3 tries all in the QF with some great rugby by both sides. We will probably see a good game and as you say not much in it. I am less worried than normal as I feel like our team is changing for the future at the moment, with the new coach, so we will get better over time. There is a lot of new talent coming through.