The Highlanders name youthful 2023 squad
2023 brings the arrival of a new Super Rugby Pacific season and a new captain for the Highlanders.
Experienced loose forward, Billy Harmon, will take the reins of the team for 2023, fresh from skippering Canterbury to a National Provincial Championship (NPC) final and being selected in the All Blacks XV northern tour. He will be able to draw on the experience of players of the calibre of Otago Captain, James Lentjes, and the Highlanders’ most capped player, All Black Aaron Smith. Harmon’s credentials for the role had not gone unnoticed by Dermody.
“From my very first discussion with Billy he was keen to do the job. Clearly his level of play on the field is always top-notch but he also brings some great leadership skills to the role. He is a pretty calm and collected sort of a guy and I thought he did an outstanding job with Canterbury this year. I am sure he will add a great deal to our leadership environment this season.”
Head Coach Clarke Dermody believes he has assembled a good blend of youth and experience in his 2023 squad and as a former Highlander front rower is satisfied, he has what he needs in the forwards to compete.
“When you have players with the Super Rugby experience of Makalio, Marshall, De Groot, Ainsley, Johnstone, Dickson, Mikaele-Tu’u and Frizell, you have a core of guys who know what it takes to deliver at that level. Then you combine that with the younger talent available, the likes of Parkinson, Withy, Holland, and others, I believe we have the makings of a very competitive pack.”
The backs strike force has been bolstered by the arrival of former Chiefs’ winger Jonah Lowe, along with Otago flyer, Jona Nareki, who is returning after an injury ruled out his 2022 Super Rugby Pacific aspirations.
“We’ve seen a lot of good constructive play from our backs in the various teams they’ve represented at NPC level. We’re excited that we have some experience in our game drivers at 9 and 10, some real power in the midfield and a little bit of magic out wide. It’s a pretty settled group in the backs, most of whom have been with us before and I’m sure they will want to create plenty of tries this season” said Dermody.
The squad includes 22 forwards and 16 backs with just three Super Rugby debutants in Bay of Plenty loose forward Nikora Broughton, Otago lock Will Tucker and teammate first-five Cameron Miller.
Broughton had a stand-out U20 tournament as captain of the winning NZ Barbarians team and Otago pivot Cameron Miller was selected for the NZ U20 team from the same tournament. Will Tucker has returned from playing for the Major League Rugby Champions Rugby New York and all have had accomplished NPC seasons, impressing Dermody.
“Will, Cam and Nikora have all demonstrated their potential over the last 12 months and we believe they have bright Super Rugby futures in front of them and it’s always exciting to see younger talent come through and imagine what they could achieve in a Highlanders’ jersey”.
HIGHLANDERS 2023 SQUAD
Backs: James Arscott, Connor Garden-Bachop, Marty Banks, Mosese Dawai, Folau Fakatava, Sam Gilbert, Scott Gregory, Mitch Hunt, Vilimoni Koroi, Jonah Lowe, Cameron Millar, Jona Nareki, Fetuli Paea, Aaron Smith, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen
Forwards: Jermaine Ainsley, Leni Apisai, Nikora Broughton, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Josh Dickson, Shannon Frizell, Ethan De Groot, Billy Harmon (Capt.), Max Hicks, Fabian Holland, Luca Inch, Ayden Johnstone, James Lentjes, Andrew Makalio, Rhys Marshall, Saula Ma’u, Marino Mikaele Tu’u, Pari Pari Parkinson, Hugh Renton, Jeff Thwaites, Will Tucker, Sean Withy
Press Release/Highlanders Rugby
Latest Comments
No just because the personal is much better than last year. I've shown no antagonism of Crusader players, you must be confusing me with someone else.
I have critized Razor for picking players he knows occasionally?
I said I'm not surprised because of his style, he's more a grinder player like Cane, not going to show up on peoples radar until you see how bad the other choices are. This year players like Clarke have been on fire and just show a bit more.
Are you one of those posters continually taking it easy on Razor because he doesn't have his Crusaders stars available? Do you think the rugby world is going to up to him suddenly once Mo'unga returns? lol
Go to commentsJohn you have been beating this drum for a couple of years, if you get proven right get back to us.
The last recent and decent Aussie coach was Ewen McKenzie, he was undermined and forced out by a couple of slimy Aussie players who were given a free pass when they should have been disciplined.
So our history since McQueen is very checkered and it seems to make little difference whether we have an Aussie coach or a Kiwi coach. The players have been entitled for a long time and we had to hit bottom to get them back into reality and to stop thinking it is all about them.
Cheika was an OK coach but his 'go our and destroy the opposition' tactic worked for a while and then didn't.
Please give me a list of great Aussie coaches that I have missed.
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