Highlanders squad dissection

The Highlanders have lost two of their super starts in the backline namely Ben Smith and Waisake Naholo. These two wil be a big loss but with neither of them even being playing the full season last year the team will know how to cope without them. They did however make allot of signings to replace both of them with 7 of the 7 new backline players being able to cover at least one of those positions. The have never been a team full of super starts, but when they were at their best they were a superstar team. The Highlanders have allot of potential for a big season but they will have to play together as a team. If their chemistry is right and the team has a good day they can beat anyone, but it is more of a rebuilding season for them so I expect them to compete more for the middle of the New Zealand conference than the top.

Players to look out for:

Aaron Smith: If you are a New Zealander you believe that he is the nine that reinvented the way a scrumhalf plays and you might be right. Before he started playing the ten was your play-maker and the decision-maker on the field he changed that. He is one of the stand out players not because of all his skill (although they are very impressive as well), but because of his mind. He reads the game as well as anyone and that is while he will always be in the right place on the right time.

Shannon Frizell: He is another one of those fringe players when it comes to the All Blacks squad. He will want to preform this year and become a regular starter instead of a player of the bench. If he gets the ball look for him to run hard with it and his speed will put the opposition on the back foot if they give him even an inch. The 25 year old flanker has allot of potential and it is time we see it from him. This year he will have a more senior role in the team and will have to step up to the plate and deliver

New signings:

Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Flanker), Ethan de Groot (Prop), Zane Kapeli (Back row), Sione Misiloi (Flanker), Jesse Parete (Back row), Manaaki Selby-Rickit (Lock), Jeff Thwaites (Prop), Nathan Vella (Hooker), Michael Collins (Utility back), Tima Fainga’anuku (Wing), Scott Gregory (Utility back), Mitchell Hunt (Flyhalf-Fullback), Chris Kuridrani (Wing), Jona Nareki (Wing), Ngane Punivai (Wing).

Players that left:

Ngane Punivai, Tyrel Lomax, Sef Fa’agase, Tom Franklin, Luke Whitelock, Liam Squire, Marty Banks, Richard Buckman, Matt Faddes, Waisake Naholo, Tevita Li, Ben Smith.