ODT Online rugby contributor Jeff Cheshire rates the Highlanders on their performance after they lost 23-19 to the Hurricanes last night.
Ben Smith 6.5/10: Did not get as many chances but looked dangerous when he did run. Looked to kick clear rather than counter-attack when kicked the ball inside his own 22 which he cannot be faulted for.
Kade Poki 6/10: Again not as many chances came his way, but he had a few nice touches including one which led to a near-try in the second half.
Jason Emery 7/10: Looked very good on debut, running well and showing himself capable of executing the offload that has made him so dangerous at lower levels. Did not shy away from contact either and other than a couple of defensive lapses, he did not do much wrong.
Phil Burleigh 6.5/10: Another solid effort from Burleigh who continues to do a very good job filling in for missing All Blacks. Looked particularly incisive early on and distributed well. Had a quieter second half, although still did little wrong.
Hosea Gear 8/10: A beast with ball in hand, making devastating runs which saw him become the most dangerous player on the field. Defended very well too, shadowing the opposition well on overlaps to allow the cover to get across which undoubtedly saved points.
Colin Slade 7/10: Looked very composed and controlled the team well. Was generally good in contact and his goal kicking was outstanding.
Aaron Smith 7/10: Finally showed that he is more than just a good passer, kicking a lot and for the most part doing so well. Also looked dangerous running and picked good times to do so.
John Hardie 6.5/10: Never stopped, making plenty of tackles and getting his hands on the ball as always. He was more effective at the breakdown this week too, which prevented the Hurricanes getting the fast ball that the Cheetahs were getting last week.
Joe Wheeler 6/10: Not the flashiest player around, but he certainly works hard. Made a lot of tackles and hit a lot of rucks. Needed to come in on defence prior to the Perenara try to fill in the gap next to the ruck, a small thing but crucial in the context of the game.
Jarrad Hoeata 6.5/10: Good in the tight, making an impact in the contact situations. Was the primary lineout jumper used and made some good takes at the back, but did not jump on one that was thrown to him late in the game, which points were conceded from.
Chris King 6/10: Played well in his first start for the season, with the set-piece looking more assured while he was on and was fairly good in the tight around the field too. He was unlucky to get subbed when he did and should start his 100th game next week.
Andrew Hore (No rating): Another All Black down and the injury list just gets worse and worse. He made a big tackle to stop a try before having to leave the field in the first 10 minutes.
Tony Woodcock 6.5/10: A far better performance from Woodcock, much more prominent around the field and better at scrum time.
Brayden Mitchell 6.5/10: Was everywhere and got into everything, proving a good replacement for Andrew Hore. Had to leave the field late in the game with a broken shoulder, meaning only one of the three hookers remains fit.
Jake Parangatai 5/10: Tried hard like last week, but just does not impose himself physically and struggles to provide the go-forward that is given by Nasi Manu and Elliot Dixon.
TJ Ioane 6/10: An impact player in every sense of the world, threw himself into contact and did not look out of place in his Super Rugby debut.
Fumiaki Tanaka 5.5/10: Passed well but needs to look to do more in the way of running and kicking. Did not do a lot wrong, but needs to be more than steady to justify replacing a player who is playing as well as Aaron Smith was.
Lima Sopoaga (No rating): Did not get much of a chance, came on late when Brayden Mitchell went down injured.
Buxton Popoalii (No rating): Perhaps could have come on earlier. Had a couple of touches where he looked extremely dangerous and made one good clearing kick. He should find himself in a starting jersey at some stage this season.
