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

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

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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

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

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 5 | Making Waves

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

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Andrew Nichols 27 minutes ago

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Do your homework. VTW was a league player for 2 years max. Hardly a convert. Was a Waikato NPC squad member for longer than his short NRL stint.

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He's still only 32. No reason he won't make it to the next RWC.

Farrell has a lot of good options to choose from, any could go, any could miss out. As you say he will go with whatever suits his game plan so likely Prendergast, Fin Smith and then it's a toss up for the third spot depending on what he's looking for. If he wants another ten who can fit that mould then Ford is a very solid option. Young Faz brings a lot of leadership, Russell gives a maverick option and Marcus the perfect man for a 23 shirt with a 6-2 split.

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Ed the Duck 43 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Is your issue here simply one of detailed protocol, as you see things, in adhering to both the spirit (or intent if you will) and letter of the law in question? Or rather an issue with the whole concept of allowing any team to select a 7-1 (or even an 8-0!) split, regardless of whether the law was amended to specifically provide for that choice?

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Ed the Duck 49 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

The increase in players covering multiple positions feels significant here and would probably be a can of worms best left alone. However that’s putting the cart before the horse and allowing a free pass on RW’s assertion that this is a live hot issue with the game’s decision makers. One thing is clear though, he has nailed his colours to the mast and is going to look pretty stupid if this amounts to nothing!

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Is the All Blacks captaincy right for Scott Barrett?

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Colin Friels 57 minutes ago

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Ed the Duck 1 hour ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Nothing wrong with calling out your complete failure to address the key points. You can interpret that as insulting if you like, personally I don’t give a toss.

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RedWarriors 1 hour ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

“In law-making, intention refers to the purpose or goal the lawmakers aim to achieve through a particular law. It's not a literal mental state of individual legislators, but rather a framework that guides the interpretation and application of the law by courts. The court's duty is to discern and effectuate this intention”. You could have easily checked this yourself but instead chose to falsely imply it was my own idea of legal theory.

As it happens, I have used the intention of a law (under the PPERA Act) to successfully initiate an electoral commission inquiry into a UK political party in a 2019 UK (nationwide) election. Ie I know what I’m talking about.

Whether the topic is on the agenda for the board meeting in May is up to the chairman of that board, but if there is a 50:50 split as Owen Doyle states then I don’t see how the Chair can avoid it.

Again Owen Doyle was an official in that law making process and is writing for the Irish paper of record, the Irish Times. I won’t be siding with this blog site on this occasion.

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RedWarriors 1 hour ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Again more ad hominem insults.

Best of luck with it. If you abuse me again I will block you.

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