Highlanders v French Barbarians
-
The French Baabaas team:
.
Friday, 22 June. K/o 7.35pm NZT. Live on Sky Sport 1
-
Highlanders
1 Aki Seiuli
2 Ash Dixon (cc)
3 Siate Tokolahi
4 Alex Ainley
5 Paripari Parkinson
6 Josh Dickson
7 James Lentjes
8 Elliot Dixon
9 Josh Renton
10 Lima Sopoaga (cc)
11 Tevita Li
12 Richard Buckman
13 Rob Thompson
14 Matt Faddes
15 Josh McKayRESERVES
16 Greg Pleasants-Tate
17 Guy Millar
18 Tyrel Lomax
19 Dan Pryor
20 Marino Mikaele-Tu'u
21 Kayne Hammington
22 Josh Ioane
23 Thomas Umaga-JensenHighlanders Name Team For Match Against The French Barbarians
Pulse Energy Highlanders Head Coach, Aaron Mauger, has provided an opportunity for players, who have had precious little game time, to show their abilities against the touring French side. The selected team is a blend of the present and the future, illustrated best by the locking combination of Alex Ainley, at 37, a veteran of many seasons of hard graft in the engine room pairing with the rangy 22-year-old Paripari Parkinson who is yet to make his super rugby debut. Similarly, in the midfield the wily and versatile, Richard Buckman, will be backed up off the bench by the multi-talented but as yet unproven at Super Rugby level, Thomas Umaga-Jensen. Umaga-Jensen has been side-lined with injury since the start of the season and will take little encouragement to leap the sideline hoardings to take the field on Friday night. Young pivot, Josh Ioane, will also get one more opportunity to be the apprentice to the Sorcerer Lima Sopoaga who will run out for surely his last appearance at Rugby Park where he has played in Highlanders colours and the maroon and gold of the Southland Stags. Josh McKay who performed admirably in his first run on against the Reds gets another start in the 15 jersey. Elsewhere on a ground where he anchored many a scrum himself Highlanders scrum coach Clarke Dermody will be happy to see the return of Siate Tokolahi to the starting line-up after several weeks absence from the training field with a knee injury. Fellow prop, Guy Millar, also returns from injury to take a spot on the bench. -
Interesting to see Dickson at blindside. Never struck me as the kind of player who would be anything other than lanky lock.
-
Absolutely incredible! Does this team confirm that the Highlanders now have all 38 squad members available for play and NOBODY injured currently (outside of Squire doubtful for Saturday)? Mikaele Tu'u is the only replacement player - covering those in the AB's. Compared to other franchises with up to 20 players injured and unavailable, this is unheard of in Super Rugby. What is in the water down there? Or do they play tiddly-winks at training lol?
-
@arhs where's Hunt?
-
Teihorangi Walden is missing from the squad, too. Is Fletcher Smith injured?
-
Tomkinson, Lienert-Brown and Tuiloma not used either. But, they can only select 23. All the players previously listed as injured are playing. Just not aware of any new injuries. Nabura suspended still I imagine.
-
Young pivot, Josh Ioane, will also get one more opportunity to be the apprentice to the Sorcerer Lima SopoagaWhat?
-
@bones said in Highlanders v French Barbarians:
Interesting to see Dickson at blindside. Never struck me as the kind of player who would be anything other than lanky lock.
Well when you have you four of your blindside options in the All Backs you have to scratch around a bit.
-
@southernmann said in Highlanders v French Barbarians:
@bones said in Highlanders v French Barbarians:
Interesting to see Dickson at blindside. Never struck me as the kind of player who would be anything other than lanky lock.
Well when you have you four of your blindside options in the All Backs you have to scratch around a bit.
Reckon Rob Thomas or the Barracuda would've aced it.
-
@southernmann said in Highlanders v French Barbarians:
@bones said in Highlanders v French Barbarians:
Interesting to see Dickson at blindside. Never struck me as the kind of player who would be anything other than lanky lock.
Well when you have you four of your blindside options in the All Backs you have to scratch around a bit.
They could have just played Dixon at 6 and Mikaele-Tu'u at 8 if they wanted proper loosies - so looks like they're wanting to give him a try there.
-
The French really love their line-out mauls. Not working yet.
-
Ha, line-out maul from the Landers has more success. Try Lentjes.
-
Not converted by Sopoaga. 5 - 3 Highlanders
-
Now there you could clearly see that E Dixon isn't a no. 8.
-
Buckman's bogan levels are on another level tonight! That mop on his head!
-
Pretty average game thus far.
-
@kiwimurph said in Highlanders v French Barbarians:
Young pivot, Josh Ioane, will also get one more opportunity to be the apprentice to the Sorcerer Lima SopoagaWhat?
Must ba an autocorrect from "piker".
-
Half time: Highlanders 5 - 3 French Barbarians
Boring first half.
-
Great try from Josh McKay, one of the few players I would give a pass mark thus far. Good pass from E Dixon.
-
Try Sopoaga. Good to see him score in his last game in Invercargill. The French had it coming ... The Landers have been camping in their 22 for most of the second half.
17 - 3 Highlanders
-
Try Greg Pleasants-Tate after a driving maul.
22 - 3 Landers
-
I'd like to see how many rucks Buckman hit tonight as opposed to Elliot Dixon
-
Try Thompson, courtesy of Buckman, who's had a great game.
29 -3 Landers. Time's almost up.
-
Consolation try for Bonneval after a great break from Penaud.
Full time: Highlanders 29 - 10 French Barbarians.
Second half was reasonably good to watch. The score flatters the Landers a bit, because McKay's try was scored after a forward pass that wasn't spotted by the officials.
-
Parkinson was the stand out player IMO. Safe target in the lineout, probably solid at scrum time (the Highlanders' scrum had the upper hand), effective driving and great workrate. It is quite odd that it was his first start of the season. How such a player could have been ignored by Hammett ?
https://www.ffr.fr/Equipes-de-France/Rugby-a-XV/Barbarians-Francais/Barbarians-Francais-La-composition-pour-les-Highlanders
