Millar to start in Highlanders' last game of the season
The Highlanders have resisted the urge to experiment at the end of the season.
They wind up their campaign with a home fixture against the red-hot Chiefs on Friday night.
The Highlanders fell out of contention weeks ago, so the best they can do is avoid finishing in last place.
To do that they will need to secure at least a bonus point and keep their finger's crossed for the Fijian Drua to lose to the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Coach Jamie Joseph has put his trust in more or less the same group.
There is just one change to the starting XV.
Cameron Millar replaces an injured Taine Robinson (foot) at first five, also lock Tai Cribb retains his spot after Mitchell Dunshea was a late scratching last week.
Daniel Lienert-Brown replaces Josh Bartlett on the bench and Sam Gilbert joins the game day 23 as back cover.
"Cam gets a start," Joseph said.
"He'll want to make amends for, you know, some past performances. He's a good young rugby player.
"He'll grow with confidence. And the way to get confidence is by playing big games of footy. So it's a big game of rugby for him."
Millar missed a late penalty during the 15-12 loss to Crusaders on Friday which would have pushed the game into extra time.
Gilbert will join the Irish club Connacht at the end of the NPC season, so he will get a start from the bench in what will be his last game for the Highlanders.
The Highlanders have lost seven games by seven or fewer points this season.
The campaign could have looked very different had they managed to reverse a few of those tight results.
"I haven't lost confidence in the team. I feel sorry for our team because they work hellishly hard.
"But that's footy. There's kind of no fairy tales in sport.
"The lessons that we're learning and how to close games and how to execute under pressure are costing us.
"So let's hope going forward that doesn't cost us again."
The Highlanders have had a boost this week. Co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai inked a two-year deal and towering lock Fabian Holland signed a three-year contract.
Joseph said it was a vote of confidence in the club and the coaching staff.
It is Joseph's second stint with the Highlanders as head coach and, while the results have not been as good as he would have liked, he can see progress.
"I think what we discuss as a team, and what's really important is what purpose does year one play?
"[We've got a] young team, we talk about that. New captains, we've talked about that. And I guess, you know, we're building.
"And it's not going to go our way all the time.
"The disappointing thing is that we've put ourselves in really good winning positions and then fallen a little bit short.
"And so those are hard lessons for the team, but something that we'll take forward in the future for sure."
Highlanders: Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Jonah Lowe, Tanielu Tele'a, Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-captain), Taniela Filimone, Cam Millar, Folau Fakatava, Sean Withy, Veveni Lasaqa, Te Kamaka Howden, Tai Cribb, Fabian Holland, Saula Ma'u, Jack Taylor, Ethan de Groot (co-captain). Reserves: Soane Vikena, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Sefo Kautai, Will Stodart, Michael Loft, Adam Lennox, Sam Gilbert, Thomas Umaga-Jensen.
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