Tough task ahead for coach
Two ugly numbers reveal just how far off the pace the Highlanders are in Super Rugby.
An optimist might cling to the fact they are only five points off a playoff spot, but that is more a reflection on both a generous playoff system and a congested second tier in the competition than the Highlanders' suitability to be in the top six.
More relevant numbers are 36 and 33.
Those are the Highlanders' losing margins over the past two weeks against the Chiefs and the Crusaders.
How wonderful they get to play both teams again this season.
Granted, they are far superior teams loaded with All Blacks — and they are clearly the two big dogs in Super Rugby this season, being tied on 37 points, eight clear of the pack — but these back-to-back losses have illustrated the tough task that lies ahead of master coach Jamie Joseph.
He reflected on the gap between his side and the best when he digested the 43-10 loss to the Crusaders on Saturday night.
"This is a pretty young team playing 10 or 11 All Blacks," Joseph said.
"What do people expect around a young team playing a quality side at the top of the table? I don't know.
"Our players gritted their teeth and did their best against a really good team."
Joseph acknowledged he was frustrated to see the Highlanders botch some attacking opportunities in the first half as the Crusaders effectively killed the game off with a 21-0 lead.
It was obvious they needed to get better at turning half-chances into points — and the statistics reflected that.
The Highlanders edged the Crusaders in metres gained (478m to 440m), carries (193 to 105) and defenders beaten (37 to 18).
"I actually think the score ... it didn't really reflect our performance.
"I'm disappointed for the players because they created a lot of opportunities to score in the first half, and we didn't really take those opportunities.
"We were held up over the line a couple of times, there was the line open with nobody in front of it and we passed ... so those kind of opportunities against quality teams like the Crusaders have got to be taken.
"The guys are doing enough to get into the 22m first. When we get into the 22m, we've got to make sure we execute.
"Part of that is they defended really well, the Crusaders. And part of it is that we didn't execute our part of it well.
"At this stage of this team's life, that's where the difference is — the ability to execute tough skills under pressure."
Joseph highlighted the efforts of world-class fullback Will Jordan, who scored two tries in the first 15 minutes and pretty much did everything right, as an example of the difference between the South Island rivals.
Highlanders star Fabian Holland should be back on his feet quickly.
The lock left the game and was replaced by Oliver Haig after just 11 minutes when Holland failed an HIA, but he passed stage two.
The Highlanders slip to 10th in the 11-team competition, tied on 17 points with the Blues but ranked below them on points difference.
There is a six-point buffer on the battling Fijian Drua, so the Highlanders will likely avoid the wooden spoon, but they really need to beat Moana Pasifika in Dunedin this Sunday before the daunting finish against the Hurricanes, Crusaders and Chiefs.
Moana Pasifika, led as usual by the peerless Ardie Savea, beat the Drua 34-15 in the Pacific derby at Albany on Saturday.
The Hurricanes became the first New Zealand side to win in Australia this season when they upset the Brumbies 35-29 in Canberra to leap to fifth in the standings.
hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- RNZ News
Super Rugby Pacific: Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham predicts physical battle with Chiefs
Chiefs v Brumbies Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 14 June FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Live blog updates on RNZ Not many people are giving the Brumbies a shot at tipping up the Chiefs on Saturday night, but then again, not many tipped the Blues last weekend either. Coach Stephen Larkham, who won two Super Rugby titles with the side in the early 2000s, was confident that perennially strong Australian side was ready to potentially pull off an upset in their do or die semifinal. "It's a big challenge going down there, obviously. We've played some big games in that stadium and the results haven't gone our way," said Larkham at the team's Auckland training base of Dilworth College, before reflecting on what was learned from the Blues' intense 20-19 victory last Saturday night. "The physical battle was there from both teams. (The Blues were) very dominant with their forwards, very heavy at the breakdown and I thought that worked pretty well. I mean, the biggest thing we take out of it is that we need to be physical this weekend. Then obviously there's things that we've been working on, throughout the season over the last couple of weeks and games, that we think have been going pretty well." One of those will be the ability to control territory, something the Brumbies excelled at in their win over the Blues at Eden Park back in round four. Larkham highlighted the kick strategy as a key one for his side in a game that may well follow the low-scoring template set in the Chiefs' last home game. Damian McKenzie is tackled by Brumbies Declan Meredith. Photo: Brett Phibbs / "We've got the conditions today, where the ground is a little bit muddy, and ball was very slippery in the rain. We're sort of expecting the same on the weekend…we've been working on our kick strategy for the whole year. It doesn't really change with the wet, we like to have variation. We like to have balance with our kicking game…that's really determined by where we are on the field." Larkham has named an unchanged match day squad from his side that beat the Hurricanes in their play-off on Saturday night. The inside back pairing of Ryan Lonergan and Noah Lolesio will be in charge of implementing the kicking plan, but the Brumbies do possess some serious firepower in the back in Tom Wright, Len Ikitau and Corey Toole. However, Larkham stressed that they all need to be given good ball in order to do anything, something the Brumbies have been very good at this season. "Our ability to hold the ball through ten phases and score tries is the best in the competition, and that comes from all the breakdown work. So we spent a lot of time on that this year and we certainly know that's going to be important this weekend," he said. "If you sort of look at just about every game in Super Rugby this year, it's gone down to the wire. Even when you've got first place playing last, it's come down to the wire as well. So we've spoken about that, that when you get into the finals, every team is fairly evenly matched, and it will come down to those little moments."
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Eligibility row erupts over five ‘Year 14s' in controversial Marlborough Boys' College first XV
The Marlborough Boys' College first XV is again attracting controversy Photo: Sky Sport The schoolboy rugby team that made international headlines last month over a controversial try is facing further claims of dubious tactics by rivals. RNZ has learned Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, has five "year 14" students in its first XV team this season. The make-up of the team has raised concerns about the integrity of the first XV competition, known as the Miles Toyota Premiership, and wider questions about the overheated nature of schoolboy rugby. The year 14 phenomenon, whereby students return for a sixth year of high school for sporting purposes, has long been a source of contention in secondary school sport. The practice has been banned in rowing . In 2018, age eligibility for secondary school rugby changed from under-19 to under-18 as of 1 January of the competition year, which appeared to temper the environment around first XV rugby. But school sports officials say the Marlborough Boys' College example shows more needs to be done to rein in the practice. One parent claimed the Marlborough team's actions are "making a mockery" of the premier competition, which involves schools in the Crusaders' catchment area stretching from Nelson, at the top of the South Island, to Timaru. "The biggest issue I've got is not necessarily what they're doing, although I don't believe what they're doing is in the spirit of secondary school rugby. But when you have five boys coming back to play rugby, they're blocking the path of other boys who won't get the opportunity to play in the first XV and share that experience with their peers," said the parent, who asked not to be named out of concern that their children may experience backlash. "I know there's a lot of people in Blenheim who aren't particularly happy with the approach here. There'll be some that are delighted because [Marlborough] are sticking it to the big Christchurch schools and beating Nelson [College] who are their local rivals. But how they're achieving it is pretty questionable in my opinion." Tonga Taumoefolau, coach of the Marlborough Boys' College first XV, disputed claims that having five year 14s in the team had created an uneven playing field, and questioned the motives of those "calling us out". The Marlborough Boys' College team, known as the Falcons, sit second in the premiership with five wins from five outings this season, just behind Christchurch Boys' High School, which has an additional bonus point. "I think your sources are revealing a bit about their character, that's how I feel," said Taumoefolau. "Two of the year 14 boys are not in the starting line-up, so only three of those boys are starting our games and what I would call our regular mainstays. I'm really bemused we've got a bunch of schools worried about what we're doing when you consider some of the stuff that goes on in other schools. "I would suggest it might also be worth looking at how many schools have imported players from the islands in the past." Taumoefolau also claimed that having five year 14s in their line-up was not unusual in the context of the competition. He said in 2021 one rival school had nine year 14s in its first XV, while another school had six in 2023. He declined to name those schools and RNZ has been unable to verify the claims. Tony Smail, chief executive of Canterbury Rugby, which governs the competition, was unavailable for an interview, but in a statement confirmed the union was aware Marlborough Boys' College had five year 14 players registered this season. "It isn't common that there are five players in any given year at Year 14 but the key consideration for eligibility is age, not year level," he said. Tim Grocott, principal of Shirley Boys' High School, says other principals may have said "we don't think that's right" if they'd known earlier about the number of Year 14s in the Marlborough Boys' team Photo: RNZ / Niva Chittock Tim Grocott, principal of Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch, which also features in the premiership competition, said he was shocked to learn there were five players in the Marlborough line-up. As player registration data only captures date of birth and year the player first started at the school, the number of year 14 students playing secondary schools rugby is difficult to quantify. But Grocott said having five in one team "is very, very unusual". "I haven't heard of a school who's had that number in previous years and a quick check of all of the team rosters of the premier competition… it appears that it is significantly higher than any other school," he said. Grocott said he is aware of one other school in the competition that "potentially has one or two year 14s". "What this issue has highlighted is I think there's probably a need for schools to be much more aware of what's happening and potentially push back a bit more," he said. "If we'd known earlier, perhaps the principals could have got together and said to Marlborough Boys' College, 'we don't think that's right'. It's not a level playing field. How are we going to operate in a better way that actually identifies and demonstrates the values of secondary school sport? Because I don't think having five year 14s does that." Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn insisted his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had "one or two" students return for year 14. This year was an "anomaly" with eight students returning to school because it was difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Of the eight students who started out the year, two have since left school. "We've not gone out to keep these boys at school just for rugby. That's not what we're about - we're a school, we're an academic institution. We're not a rugby club," he said. "[The students] are all in an academic programme and some of that includes through our Gateway and our Trades Academy trying to find work for those people. "At the moment, I guess because of the climate, it's a lot harder to find that work. And when you look at the age of these boys, all under 18, some of them are just not really mature enough to enter the workforce, so we'll try and find ways to keep them in school so we can try and help get them into employment when they do leave." Dunn said he understands the argument that the sixth year students could be blocking the pathway for other players to experience first XV rugby, but he did not think it was fair to deny the year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. The school's first XV has already been in the spotlight this season after making international headlines following a try-scoring stunt in their narrow 28-26 win over neighbouring rivals Nelson College. The controversy occurred in the 33rd minute of the match when Marlborough were awarded a penalty shot in front of the posts, and the ball was placed on the kicking tee for a shot at goal. As the Nelson team huddled behind the posts, the penalty taker side-footed the ball to the left corner, which was chased down by his Falcons teammate, who dotted down in the corner. After a lengthy discussion between the referees, the try was awarded. The footage quickly went viral, with former international rugby referee Nigel Owens weighing in on the legality of the try. The incident also re-ignited another debate over the merits of broadcasting schoolboy rugby games. The match was Sky Sport's first live televised first XV match after a two-year hiatus, which was brought about in large part due to schools raising concerns about players being exposed to an unhealthy level of scrutiny. Some schools - notably those involved in Auckland's 1A competition - have elected not to allow Sky to broadcast its games due to player welfare concerns. Dunn said the furore that erupted after the school's win over Nelson has made him question whether televising secondary school sport "is the right way to go". "It's definitely had an impact on a couple of our players," he said. "There's the pressure for these boys to perform, which can be both positive and negative. The TV and the media can put these boys in the spotlight when they have a good game, but if they don't have a good game or they make a decision that the public don't agree with, then the keyboard warriors come out, and with the power of social media, it gets pretty nasty. "The person I feel the most sorry for is the referee because they're giving up their time to adjudicate the game and one decision which whether it's right or wrong, they get crucified for." Grocott, the principal of Shirley Boys' High School, said he believes in general the temperature around schoolboy rugby in the South Island is cooling. "I think there's now a growing understanding that secondary school sport is a byproduct of being at school and getting an education, and that is our core function. We are there to educate and sport is a by-product of it, it's a fantastic by-product but we are not here to develop professional athletes," he said. "In terms of what I would call school behaviour, there's a few outliers around exploiting the rules around poaching and this year 14 issue, but in general it is improving. For those schools you have to ask what they are trying to achieve here? Are they interested in educating young people? Or are they looking to win rugby competitions and market their school on that basis? And I think where the challenge lies is finding that perspective." The furore in the South Island competition comes as School Sport NZ - the organisation that governs high school sport - is currently reviewing its eligibility rules for secondary schools events in 2026. Mike Summerell, chief executive of School Sport NZ, declined to be interviewed for this story, but said the organisation is hoping to have a draft go out to schools for final consultation in the coming days. As reported by RNZ earlier this year, School Sport NZ is weighing up a blanket year 14 ban at national secondary schools events after the issue erupted in rowing. In January, schools voted overwhelmingly in favour of a rule change for the Maadi Regatta , making students returning for their sixth year of high school ineligible to compete in the prestigious event. The move was engineered by a group of around 60 high school principals from across the country who, concerned the practice had become "a black mark" on the sport, called for a special general meeting to vote through a change to the eligibility rules for the event. The vote forced School Sport NZ to make a hasty change to its own rules, carving out a separate clause for rowing. Summerell told RNZ back in February that the "year 14 issue" is something that officials are looking at closely after receiving a number of submissions from principals pushing for the ban to be implemented across all "championship level" secondary schools events. He said widespread changes to the rules would have to be weighed up against the positive effects of sport being a vehicle to keeping young people engaged in education. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke re-signs to right wrongs on and off field
Caleb Clarke. Photo: Photosport All Blacks and Blues winger Caleb Clarke says the decision to stay in New Zealand gives him the chance to "right a few wrongs". The 26-year-old has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby for two more years taking him through to the 2027 World Cup. In February Clarke pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police while riding his motorbike in Auckland late last year. At the time he said "I made an error of judgement while riding my motorbike in Auckland. I've taken full responsibility for my actions and have entered a guilty plea...I'm extremely apologetic and embarrassed." In re-signing Clarke said he was "very grateful to New Zealand Rugby and the Blues". Clarke has played 74 Super Rugby games for the franchise and said "Auckland's my home.. and (I) want to get close that hundred figure.. it was a no brainer." "Especially this year things haven't gone right," and he appreciated the "the opportunity to right some wrongs." Clarke said he felt he could be better on the field too. "Even on the field I don't feel like I have been delivering the best performances for myself and the team so the opportunity to stick around and right those wrongs I am excited about. "I compare my game to last year and last year I was touching the ball 15 or 16 times (a game) and this year its five or six so just trying to get around the ball more and be more of an option." Clarke had limited game time at the 2023 World Cup where the All Blacks fell at the last hurdle losing the final to South Africa. Clarke didn't play in that match but still remembers the words of then captain Sam Whitelock post the game, "'It's one thing to be part of an All Black team but to be part of a World Cup winning side is special'...so that's the dream and that's the goal." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
