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Another Highlanders loose forward Japan bound
By Online Editors
The Manukata Sanix Blues have announced two key signings for the 2018 season, one of which is Highlanders and Maori All Blacks loose forward Dan Pryor.
The Japanese Top League side have also signed South African prop John-Roy Jenkinson, who has previously featured for the Bulls in Super Rugby and South Africa at the U20 level.
The side also announced the departure of former Springboks lock Jacques Potgieter.
Pryor - who is yet to make an appearance this season - joins fellow Highlanders and Maori All Blacks loose forward Elliot Dixon in heading to Japan after it was announced last month that Dixon had signed with the Ricoh Black Rams. Highlanders Richard Buckman and Tom Franklin are also set to move to Japan, having announced their signing with the Wayne Smith-led Kobe Steelers in April.
The 30-year-old will also join fellow Maori All Blacks Jason Emery and Andre Taylor at the club.
Auckland-born Pryor has represented Northland since 2010 and had a stint with the Blues Super Rugby squad in 2012, making one appearance before finally joining the Highlanders in 2015, who he has featured for 34 times.
Pryor was named in the Maori All Blacks squad in 2014, making his debut in a 61-21 win over Japan, coming on to the field as a replacement for Dixon. The following week the sides met again, with Pryor starting the match and scoring the decisive try in the final minute of the match.
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Latest Comments
But he chose rightly or wrongly to play for Tonga. If he wanted to play for the ABs why didn’t he hold off?
Go to comments“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”
Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.
“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”
I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.
“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”
I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.
“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”
I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!
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