Helping clean the track at Ravensbourne yesterday are
Highlanders (from left) Jason Emery (carrying bag), Buxton
Popoali'i, Josh Bekhuis, Elliot Dixon (obscured) and Colin
Slade. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
The Highlanders have hit the ground running in their
pre-season, logging lengthy days which end with a dip in the
salt water.
The squad, minus its All Blacks and some of its Maori All
Blacks, got out and about yesterday after assembling on
Saturday and will have an intense couple of weeks together
before breaking up a couple of days before Christmas.
Individual fitness testing was carried out over the weekend
and now the team work begins.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said the days would be long
for the 24 players training before Christmas.
Players start training with fitness work at 6am, with running
combined with strength and conditioning work.
This week, community work will have the players out and about
in Dunedin, for about three hours around lunchtime.
Yesterday, the players helped clean up the harbourside
walkway at Ravensbourne. Today, they will clean graffiti off
various buildings around Dunedin.
Other activities planned for the week include cleaning up a
track on the Otago Peninsula and a community car clean.
There will be some rugby training in the afternoon and the
day will conclude with a trip to either the St Clair salt
water pool or a swim at the beach. This will take the form of
a recovery session and some fitness training.
Joseph said the days were long but that had been deliberately
planned.
''The days are long for the guys but we want to give
something back to the community and get them engaged with the
community,'' Joseph said.
''Most of these guys naturally had a strong work ethic but we
want to see how they react to what we have set them this
week.
''We can test them in different ways and as coaches we can
see how they react to that."
There would still be some rugby-related training every day.
Four players had undergone operations and would not be doing
much training pre-Christmas.
Props Chris King (shoulder) and Ma'afu Fia (thumb), along
with John Hardie (toe) and Lima Sopoaga (shoulder), have all
gone under the knife. Joseph expects them to be right to play
by the end of January.
Other players were still carrying a few knocks and niggles
from last season. Winger Kade Poki was forced home early from
the New Zealand Maori tour with a sore back and it was still
bothering him.
Joseph said it was tough the players had injuries from the
previous season but the team did not play its first
competition game until the end of February so should have
time to get bodies right.
The All Blacks will rejoin the squad at the start of
February.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.