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‘Was great for Aaron Smith’: Highlanders great reacts to ‘amazing’ win over Reds
By Finn Morton
With the clock ticking ever closer to full-time at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday night, it seemed that Aaron Smith wasn’t going to get the swansong finish the legendary halfback deserved.
Playing his last home game in Highlanders colours, Smith watched on from the bench as the Reds took a late 28-30 lead following a successful Tom Lynagh penalty goal.
But Oscar-winning directors and writers couldn’t have scripted the fairytale finish any better in round 14. Smith’s replacement, halfback Folau Fakatava, scored a dramatic winner with 28 seconds left on the clock.
While Smith’s decorated Super Rugby career isn’t quite over just yet, it was more than fair that the “most influential Highlander since professional rugby started” got to farewell the home crowd as a winner.
“It was amazing,” former All Black Jeff Wilson said on Sky Sport NZ’s The Breakdown. “It was a really, really good crowd down at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
“Up until that point, I was fairly frustrated, I won’t lie.
“The Highlanders and the Reds both admitted that they didn’t play very well. Clarke Dermody said they were ‘terrible.’
“But in terms of a moment, all was forgotten. Maybe not quite forgotten… it was great for Aaron Smith. It was a remarkable turnaround in the game.
“The most influential Highlander since professional rugby started.
“He’s led and changed the script for the Highlanders, led them to a title in 2015.
“I think he and Ben Smith created something that will hopefully last forever down in Dunedin.”
The match-winning score in front of 'The Zoo’ at the Dunedin venue highlighted the very best of what sport has to offer.
While it was Aaron Smith’s night, the Highlanders were desperate for a win – and it was Smith’s successor-to-be that delivered a moment of individual brilliance.
In that moment, the baton had well and truly been passed on from one legendary halfback to the man who is set to make the No. 9 jersey his own at the Highlanders for the years to come.
The Highlanders now sit in eighth place, and control their own destiny heading into the final round of the regular season.
But they “still need a number of things to go their way.”
With 11 teams in the playoff hunt, a loss to the high flying Blues at Eden Park on Friday could bring their season to a disappointing end – and officially draw the curtain on Smith’s Super Rugby career.
“The Highlanders still need a number of things to go their way,” Wilson added.
“I would be disappointed if the Chiefs didn’t send their very best side to Perth,” Wilson quipped. “No I don’t expect them to do that.
“The Force at home are good… and well coached.
“The Rebels on Friday night, they take on the Brumbies. They’ll put it in their own hands as well.
“Fiji Drua have got the Reds at home.”
The New Zealand derby between the Highlanders and Blues in Auckland is set to get underway at 7.05pm NZST on Friday at Eden Park.
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I’ve seen an improvement in both.
Go to commentsFrance using the 7-1, England using the 6-2, Ireland and Scotland have used it a few times as well and many nations are starting to adopt it. The reality is the game is changing. Administrators have made it faster and that is leading to more significant drop offs in the forwards. You have 2 options. Load your bench with forwards or alter your player conditioning which might mean more intense conditioning for forwards and a drop off in bulk. The game can still be played many ways. Every nation needs to adapt in their own way to suit their strengths. France have followed the Springbok model of tight forwards being preferred because it suits them. They have huge hunks of meat and the bench is as good as the starters so why not go for it? The Springboks have also used hybrids like Kwagga Smith, Schalk Britz, Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert and others. England are following that model instead and by putting 3 loosies there who can do damage in defence and make the breakdown a mess in the final quarter. It worked well against Wales but will be interested to see how it goes going forward against better opposition who can threaten their lineout and scrum. All the talk around bench limitations to stop the 7-1 and 6-2 for me is nonsense. Coaches who refuse to innovate want to keep the game the same and make it uniform and sameness is bad for fans. The bench composition adds jeopardy and is a huge debate point for fans who love it. Bench innovations have not made the game worse, they have made it better and more watchable. They challenge coaches and teams and that’s what fans want. What we need now is more coaches to innovate. There is still space for the 5-3 or even a 4-4 if a coach is willing to take it on and play expansive high tempo possession-based rugby with forwards who are lean and mean and backs who are good over the ball. The laws favour that style more than ever before. Ireland are too old to do it now. Every team needs to innovate to best suit their style and players so I hope coaches and pundits stop moaning about forwards and benches and start to find different ways to win.
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