Highlanders player ratings: All Blacks powerhouse ‘ferocious’ in contact as Jamie Joseph ‘masterstroke’ hints at what’s to come
All Blacks centre Timoci Tavatavanawai in action for the Highlanders and head coach Jamie Joseph.
Following an impressive 25-23 victory over the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific clash at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday, here are the player ratings for the Highlanders.
15 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens: A good performance from the full-back, showing his range of skills. Kicked well and also carried hard when given the opportunity, playing a key part in Jonah Lowe’s brilliant team try. 7
14 Caleb Tangitau: Scored a superb individual try in the first half and did plenty of other good things. Also took one fine catch in the air, which is no doubt something the new All Blacks head coach will be looking for after the struggles of last season. 7
13 Jonah Lowe: Touched down in the second half in what was an altogether solid display. Didn’t do too many flashy things but Lowe put in a decent shift with plenty of hard graft. 6
An outstanding start
12 Timoci Tavatavanawai (cc): Continued where he left off last season in Super Rugby Pacific. Injury ruined Tavatavanawai’s All Blacks chances but now back fit, the co-captain was at his best from the start. Ferocious in the carry but with the skills to match, let’s hope we see more of him at Test level. Maybe Jamie Joseph can do just that. 8
11 Jona Nareki: Good in the first half but played a key role after the break on both sides of the ball. Had a couple of electric moments in attack and then an important intervention in defence as the Highlanders secured a momentous victory. 7
10 Cameron Millar: A steady hand at fly-half for the ‘Landers. Understands the game well, has a good kicking game and lets his talented outside backs shine. Also showed nerves of steel to kick the winning penalty. 7
9 Folau Fakatava: It has been a bit of a struggle for the scrum-half over recent years but he had an excellent NPC campaign last year and was much better in the Super Rugby opener. Hopefully it is a sign of things to come as Fakatava is incredibly talented. 7
8 Lucas Casey: Made his debut for the Highlanders after being one of a batch of youngsters to impress for Otago in the NPC, but it is a step up and it showed. Had a great start by winning a turnover early on but Casey is still adapting to the extra pace and physicality, and faded later in the game before being replaced on the hour mark. 6
Ex-All Blacks star backs ‘old school’ coach over Dave Rennie to replace Scott Robertson
Sheer work ethic
7 Sean Withy (cc): An immense shift from the flanker, who made the most tackles in the match and quite simply put in a huge effort in defence. That was particularly important in the final moments as the Crusaders attacked late on. 7
6 Te Kamaka Howden: Similar to his back-row team-mate, Withy, Howden was everywhere. Made 11 tackles and carried 12 times, which showed his incredible work rate. 7
5 Mitch Dunshea: The former Crusader did the nuts and bolts well as they laid a solid enough platform for the backs. Came under more pressure in the second period as the visitors brought on their All Blacks stars but held firm. 6
4 Oliver Haig: Not quite as effective as Dunshea but it was a solid evening’s work for the lock, who has a big role to play this season following Fabian Holland’s injury. 5
3 Rohan Wingham: Jamie Joseph switched around the props before the match and it proved to be a masterstroke. Wingham claimed one turnover and did fairly well in other facets, but it was solid rather than spectacular. 5
2 Jack Taylor: An all-action display from the hooker, who was prominent at the breakdown and good in the set-piece. Taylor was excellent for an hour before being replaced. 7
1 Josh Bartlett: Similar to Wingham, did his job without too much fuss but obviously the Highlanders were simply looking for him to hold his own before bringing on Ethan de Groot. 5
Replacements: As mentioned, the All Blacks props were held back given the strength of the Crusaders bench and it paid off. While they weren’t dominant, De Groot and Angus Ta’avao at least stopped their opponents from getting too much momentum, with the former putting in a mammoth defensive effort and the latter scoring a debut try. Elsewhere, Veveni Lasaqa had some good moments and Tanielu Tele’a got involved, despite a needless interception. 7