1
Highlanders confirm departure of international star and three other stalwarts
By Tom Vinicombe
The Highlanders have announced that four players from their 2021 squad have played their finals games for the team.
Midfielder Michael Collins, loose forward Teariki Ben-Nicholas and prop Siate Tokolahi are all multi-season Highlanders but it's the man who only arrived on New Zealand's shores earlier this year, Kazunki Himeno, who is perhaps the greatest loss.
Himeno, a star for Japan at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was a marquee signing for the Highlanders this year. The 26-year-old had a delayed start to the season, making his first appearance off the bench in Round 4 of Super Rugby Aotearoa but quickly became an automatic selection at number 8.
Himeno also quickly became a fan favourite, following in the footsteps of fellow countryman Fumiaki Tanaka, who spent four seasons with the Highlanders from 2013 to 2016. The Japanese loose forward has linked up with the national side and is in line to face off against the British and Irish Lions in Scotland this weekend.
Collins, who is shifting to Wales, is in his second season with the Highlanders after representing the Blues from 2017 to 2019.
Having been brought into the team as a fullback, Collins has spent the majority of his minutes in the midfield, forging a partnership with Scott Gregory throughout 2021 and starting at centre in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final last weekend.
Tokolahi is the most experienced of the quartet, having racked up 68 appearances for the Highlanders since 2017 after shifting south from the Chiefs. Altogether, the Tongan-born prop has accumulated close to a century of Super Rugby caps and will now ply his trade in France. Tokolahi started in all but one match of the Highlanders' campaign for 2021.
That leaves Wellington loose forward Ben-Nicholas, who joined the team last year and has made 13 appearances to the southerners.
Despite losing Himeno and Ben-Nicholas for next season, the Highlanders are still well-stocked in the loose forwards with the likes of Shannon Frizell, Liam Squire, Hugh Renton, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, James Lentjes and Billy Harmon all on the books.
Tokolahi's absence will be filled by the return from injury of Jermaine Ainsley while Thomas Umaga-Jensen and Fetuli Paea were lined up as the Highlanders' first-choice midfield pairing for 2021 before both succumbing to injury.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Leinster player ratings vs Sharks | 2024/25 URC
3
Fissler Confidential: Leicester Tigers set sights on Orlando Bailey
4
Wales given hands off message on rising star Kane James
5
Latest Comments
Credit to the Leinster development and to Cullen with the ‘grit’ of a Nienaber team starting to show. Deegan was immense, and Cian Healy was worth a little more in that front row than a 6.5 suggests. He controlled the pace of the scrums and communicated in conversation with the ref. Must have been a special win for him.
Gunne had a super debut. Its not an academy team, they have been blooded and are hardened from two previous SA tours and many Leinster caps between. Some inexperienced players but that wouldn’t count as the system makes that less relevant.
Leinster now have an experienced deep squad of 35-40 who each can come on and play without a big drop in standard. The team 2 years ago was academy in that sense. Not now.
All that said and as hard as Leinster made it, the Sharks should have been able to put them away. The reactions to some of the mistakes seemed to indicate that there is an ongoing issue of inaccuracy. Even at start of this season Sharks were blowing teams away and looked completely different.
Go to commentsExploring new cultures, meeting people, and experiencing the world has been a lifelong dream of mine. Last year, I decided to plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe. I spent months researching destinations, creating itineraries, and saving up $8000 for the adventure. When I came across a travel agency offering an unbeatable package deal, I thought I had struck gold. The website looked professional, the reviews seemed genuine, and the agent I spoke to was incredibly persuasive. I paid the full amount upfront, excited to finally make my dream trip a reality. However, as the departure date approached, I noticed red flags. My emails to the agency went unanswered, and when I tried calling, the number was disconnected. Panic set in as I realized I had been scammed. My dream trip was slipping away, and I had lost $8000.Devastated, I turned to Tech Cyber Force Recovery for help. I had heard about their success in tracing online fraud and recovering funds for victims like me. I provided them with all the details: the fake website, the transaction records, and the emails from the scammer. Tech Cyber Force Recovery team was incredibly understanding and assured me they would do everything possible to help. Using their expertise in digital forensics, they traced the scammer’s digital footprint and identified the offshore account to which my money had been transferred. They worked tirelessly with international authorities to freeze the account and recover the funds. Within a few weeks, they successfully returned the $8000 to me. The relief was indescribable. Not only did I get my money back, but I also learned valuable lessons about verifying online services and protecting myself from scams. Thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, I was able to rebook my trip through a legitimate agency and finally embark on my dream adventure. They didn’t just recover my funds; they restored my faith in justice and gave me the chance to create unforgettable memories. Reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery Team for assistance TELEGRAM (At)techcyberforc EMAIL Tech cybers force recovery (At)cyber services(dot)com
Go to comments