ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at five key points from the Highlanders vs Reds game.
Making use of the attacking weapons
There has been a pretty obvious game plan from the Highlanders involving getting the ball into the hands of the most potent attacking threats as much as possible. This involves bringing Patrick Osborne and Waisake Naholo into the line regularly, as well as looking to give Malakai Fekitoa room to attack. They are trying to play a fast-paced game and rather than generating pressure through building phases close-in, they are looking to make one-off breaks and force the opposition defence to scramble. Given that this is where the strength of the team lies, it seems logical enough. Fekitoa is such a handful for the defence, while Osborne and Naholo can both provide spark and the go-forward that the forward runners would normally provide. This then allows the forwards to spread out more and gives the likes of Ross Geldenhuys the chance to run at a defensive line on the back foot on second-phase ball.
Messy Game
The flip side of that approach is that it is generally going to make for more mistakes. It is a style that sees the Highlanders chance their arm a bit earlier than most other teams will, which inevitably means that their possessions will be shorter. That is fine, as long as it is working. It certainly does not make for a pretty game and it can be frustrating to watch dropped balls and poor passes thrown. In fact, at times it was a dour, even boring affair. But it could have been worse. It could have been a dour, boring affair that the Highlanders lost.
Scrum Resets
It was not just the high error rate which made for a dull game. Actually it probably would not have made such a great difference if the result of each error was not a scrum, which inevitably means waiting around for a few minutes while the two packs try to get a platform set. The Highlanders are only two games into their season and scrum resets are already a far bigger issue than they should be. Both matches have been dominated by them. That is not a good thing, particularly when we want to be promoting the game in new markets. Really, why would you watch rugby if you did not already follow the game? The scrum resets are just a turn-off.
It is only an issue at the top level though. There everyone is trying to get one over the opposition. The team without the feed will do whatever they can to disrupt the scrum, preventing the attacking team from getting a good shove on, rather than simply pushing over the ball. This results in scrum collapses. It is a pessimistic attitude to scrumming, but it is where the professional game is at. You can watch a game of club rugby and you do not see this problem.
They tend to stick within the rules and consequently you rarely see scrum resets, which makes a huge difference to the game.
Lineout good
The lineout was a problem all of last season, but last night it was one of the high points of the Highlanders game. Mark Reddish provided a good target and was reliable jumping in the middle and at the back, while Ash Dixon found the target and threw well. When both men exited for Joe Wheeler and Liam Coltman things carried on smoothly, giving the Highlanders a reliable source of possession throughout the game.
Big defensive plays
The defence of both sides was fairly solid. However there were three plays in particular which stand out as being key in the context of the match. The first of these was after a dangerous James O'Connor break early in the first half. Ben Smith found himself stranded at the back and rather than committing to the tackle, forced O'Connor to the right, allowing a chasing John Hardie to make a try-saving tackle. It was not over yet though, as the Highlanders were scrambling and under pressure if the Reds were able to clear the ball. Waisake Naholo was the hero who came up with the big play, chasing back with Hardie and securing the turnover, which allowed the Highlanders to clear the line and avoid a dangerous situation.
Next came a break up the Reds right wing via a snipe by the energetic halfback Will Genia. Genia drew his man well and continued to support his outside man, setting up a two-on-one. Highlanders hooker Ash Dixon showed impressive pace in sticking with the fast halfback, chasing him down and making a good tackle.
Lastly was Aaron Smith's outstanding tackle on Genia, where he flipped his opposite in improbable circumstances and saved a certain try.
All three were outstanding plays, saving tries and in the end were probably the winning of the game.
