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Marty Banks wins race to wear Highlanders No 10 jersey

(Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

As the Highlanders prepare to return to Melbourne for the final round of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season, they know they have a very specific job to do. While currently in the eighth and final play-off position, a mid-week full points win by the Western Force has them nipping at the Highlander’s heels.

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The Sunday afternoon game against the Rebels will give the team the opportunity to finish the regular season off on the right foot after a disappointing showing against the NSW Waratahs the previous Sunday.

Head coach Tony Brown is looking forward to the weekend’s game, “Last week was tough but we’re in a better position already as we’ve got more guys fit and healthy. The team has trained well this week and we’re expecting a tough game against the Rebels on Sunday as they’ve got nothing to lose and we’re playing to stay alive.”

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Predicting the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs.

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Predicting the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs.

Changes to the front row sees the return of Ethan de Groot from his one-week break and Andrew Makalio named at hooker, replacing Liam Coltman who suffered a calf injury last weekend. Bryn Evans also comes back to the second row after a week off. The remainder of the second row and loose forward trio has a familiar look with Dickson, Lentjes, Harmon and Mikaele-Tu’u in their regular positions.

The experienced Marty Banks will lead the team from first five and link up in the midfield with Thomas Umaga-Jensen and Josh Timu. Umaga-Jensen was pulled from the starting line-up before the game against the Waratahs with a minor back strain that has since resolved. The powerful second five will again partner with the hardworking centre in hopes of replicating the impact of the midfield against the Force in Round 13.

Brown, added, “We’re pretty lucky to have a player like Banksy to call on. He’s got big-game experience, a calm head and an educated boot and with Thomas and Timu combining outside him we’ll have a few options to keep them guessing.”

Daniel Lienert-Brown will take the field for his 100th Highlander’s game when called on from the bench, joining fellow Club legends such Aaron Smith, Ben Smith, Liam Coltman, Anton Oliver, Jimmy Cowan, Chris King, Elliot Dixon, and Ash Dixon.

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Highlanders: Liam Coombes-Fabling, Fetuli Paea, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Rory van Vugt, Marty Banks, Aaron Smith, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Billy Harmon, James Lentjes, Josh Dickson, Bryn Evans, Jermaine Ainsley, Andrew Makalio, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Rhys Marshall, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Ma’u, Sam Caird, Hugh Renton, Folau Fakatava, Vilimoni Koroi, Denny Solomona.

– Highlanders

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J
JW 48 minutes ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

-last season was a RWC season, which always means more games

I didn’t look at every (in fact I only looked at NZ lol) body but it actually means less games

(especially the Munster ones)

Yes quite noticeable, and that if Leinster and Toulouse are a mirror, didn’t the Toulousian stars still have higher minutes?

Could Doris’ last longer season have an impact on his injury

Good question, he had 1383 from 19 through till that point. No idea what his injury was but that’s a good amount of minutes again, his replacement had 5 more URC matches following the injury, you could predict 5-600 more minutes on top (another full load). I’d say yes it could and no it probably didn’t lol

looked at the ones that had the highest figures. The numbers in the season before and the one after are usually different.

Yes and it would be very easy to check thanks to that great site (just middle mouse every player). Certainly I noted the ones in Lions are less. Maybe that is planned as they have 5 or so more games yet but could indeed be seasonal. It just too hard to know imo and taking a basic average is enough. I suppose they have 10 more Lions games from the point of that data and if you expect them to share minutes thats 5x1200 added, making a season ending 23 likely totalling 42k minutes, much higher than the previous years.

If players are tired with no gas, get injured and miss half of the next season, that’s not a good input for a game

Yeah totally, that is a holistic season to season picture though, we are talking about a single key tour during a 4 WC cycle.

players from the C team were.. or are injured … so that quite conveniently lowers the bar, while still being unrealistic, as they would not tour anyway

Yes I have brought up that point myself too, it could have been much different, as it’s only “Unrealistic” judging by the example Galthie set in his selections. Who numbers, maybe he had some theoretical/imaginary marker where he said “if I can get enough players to cross this point, I’ll risk selecting my best available to try and win” but because too many became unavailable he decided it wasn’t worth it/couldn’t reach the quality he thought needed to win, so decide to go development instead.

347 Go to comments
T
TT 1 hour ago
Jason Ryan unpacks selection changes and their future impact

AB forward pack solidifying & experimenting nicely. Yes need all combinations, including back ups, tested & solidified asap.


The backline's down the other end of the spectrum, from 9 back ups to wings is all up in the air. Mainly because to many have been given too many chances to prove themselves for too long, ie while NZ other backline riches languish… or move to Japan, eg the 1 thing that has to be stopped, if it can, is NZ's most powerful centre, & exactly what ABs need, move to Japan, ie Peter Umaga-Jensen.


Add backline talent like Fakatava, D.McKenzie (permanently), Josh Jacomb, Tavatavanaw, Q.Tupaea, again Peter Umaga-Jensen, Billy Proctor, AJ Lam, Narawa, Tangitau, Naholo


This is the AB squad & team to win every future test, including the next RWC.


Order in preference /{1st pick}/ [ONJ=Once Not Injured ] / (back up)


1 {De Groot} [ONJ - Williams, Tu’ungafasi] Ollie Norris


2 { Taylor } Taukei’aho [ONJ - Aumua]


3 {Tosi} [ONJ - Lomax ] (Newell )


4,5 Locks {[ONJ - S.Barrett], Holland, Tuipulotu }, ( Vaa’i , Antonio Shalfoon, Isaia Walker-Leawere, [ONJ - Oliver Haig] )


6,7,8 Loose forwards { A.Savea, [ONJ - Lakai, Sititi], Finau, Kirifi } (Christian Lio-Willie, Vaa’i )


9 {Roigard } Ratima (Fakatava)


10 {D.McK} B.Barrett (Josh Jacomb)


12 {Tavatavanawai} Q.Tupaea (Billy Proctor)


13 { Peter Umaga-Jensen} Billy Proctor (AJ Lam)


11, 14 { W.Jordan, Narawa } [ONJ - Tangitau, Naholo] (Reece , C.Clarke)


15 {J.Barrett} B.Barrett (Love)

2 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Common now, I checked, and I have also seen your replies to Graham just now. You know the AB tests rated higher. A ‘Friendly’! You know they go back in history even further, right?


So I can’t believe you are correct when you say it brings in the money. I can understand though playing better nations than those in the 6N but which don’t have a profile (like how Argentina is still a hard rate in NZ even after years of high performance), don’t generate the same interest as Wales etc. You’re also not going to have a SA or a NZ touring every November, and Wallabies are no longer the benchmark.


I mean I wouldn’t doubt that the most obvious revenue factor is a 6N component, not trying to say that it isn’t, just that fans show that it needn’t be. November test should still generate a high amount of revenue. As a topic it is all redundant now as the November tests (and July) are going to have a competitive factor.


Hopefully the quality of nations continue to rise and you can have three blockbuster teams touring every year in the not too distant future. 10 or 11 games might be right around the perfect number for a minimum tier 1 test nation too. I’m sure you’re going to make the rest of your season fit around that (those aren’t 100% things at all).


So although WR have already implemented change, I do still agree with your opinion that things are pretty good as they are. I only see a little improvement needed before France can really step up to All Blacks or Springbok level. You might think that a joke and that you will always look up to these teams but as a nation you really can do/go one better.

347 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

It was a reply to both your posts sorry, I mean stuff you replied to NB about only focusing on 6N and hoping that.. narrowness will benefit a WC campaign.


I think WCs are harder to win than that (requires many factors other than being able to play the best winning rugby), and 5 matches that aren’t must win and are broken up is not a good test (especially compared what the All Blacks offered).

I’m fully aware that French International players participation into Top 14, European Cups & 6 Nations will hinder their preparation for a WC.

So I wasn’t saying suggesting that. Your competitions are fine, they just aren’t going to provide everything.


Interesting insight on the last campaign, and again, those components they’re adding are also practical and sensible attempts to improve their chances at a WC. So they question remains, why go to those lengths and throw it all away by not picking a better team to travel to New Zealand?


I’ve suggested in other topics they are really close to making it work, but also the data that’s been presented in this articles shows that even now they could have also made the tour to NZ work.


That is both in the view as presented here by NB and what other players were available, and in the long term planning that you say Galthie has undertaken, in not taking the opportunity to make it work even better (factors like the dates of these tests could have seen finalists available from test 1) for a tour like this.


TBH, I can understand if Galthie made a calculated decision to undervalue the tour. Many have had a bad opinion about the All Blacks ability/level under Foster, and even in test 1 he might have shown such an attitude to be correct still under Razor.

347 Go to comments
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