Heading into the Super Rugby playoffs, ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at what we know about the Highlanders.
They play well without the ball
The Highlanders are known for playing exciting rugby, but they often do so with little possession. They have looked their best this year when using a kick and chase tactic. By kicking accurately and having a strong chase, they are able to apply pressure. They have outside backs who excel at contesting the ball in the air, while they often chase fast enough to quell a counterattack when they can't get close enough to compete. From there they rely on their strong defence to hold. Then when the opportunity comes, they pounce with ball in hand. They have won several games with less than 30% possession this year, showing that it is what you do with the ball, rather than how much ball you get, that really counts.
Using width on attack
From a set-piece, the Highlanders' go-to is often to go wide early, particularly from a lineout. They set the blindside winger to come into the line at first receiver and the second five-eighth relatively narrow and flat outside the first five-eighth, opening up space out wider. However, they are not always looking to score in that space. It is often the likes of Malakai Fekitoa or Patrick Osborne who will receive the ball further out, with their goal tending to be to gain go-forward.
From there they will come back the other way, using two or three forward runners in narrower channels. Then they will go wide the same way, often finding space, particularly as it is not uncommon for forwards to still be defending out there. If they cannot score from there, they reassess and take the whichever options are available, but always look to do so while maintaining fast ruck ball on the front foot. Having a mobile forward pack becomes important, as does having a halfback with as crisp a pass as Aaron Smith.
Importantly, they have a handful of variations too, with the blindside winger being an option to hit the ball up coming into the line, often from a scrum, along with the chip kick for the flat midfield. That means the defence cannot ignore these options, opening up space out wider and making it easier to get on the front foot.
Five-man lineout
They have a full lineout, and a short one, but it is the five-man set that has been the Highlanders' preferred option this year. To begin they set a pod ready to jump at the front, with the other two players standing together at the back. This forces the opposition to match-up with them, as if they don't the Highlanders have an easy throw to the front. Given that easy throw is virtually never on, the players then come together and have a variety of options along with player movement to the front, middle and back. The key to this is that the opposition is having to organise themselves on the fly, making it harder for them to compete and put pressure on the jumper and thrower. From there, the Highlanders tend to look for off-the-top ball, or will pass directly back to the halfback once the jumper has landed. That allows them to launch into their wide attacking pattern, or go to their kick and chase via Aaron Smith's boot. This makes them a hard team to defend from lineouts.
Aggressive defence
A hallmark of this Highlanders team has been their rock solid defence. They rarely contest the breakdown, preferring to pick their moments to go after the ball. That means they have more numbers to cover the field, but also means they often have to tackle for long periods. Their line speed is fast, they are aggressive in contact and they are well-organised to ensure there are rarely gaps in their line.
They tend to crowd the narrow channels and rush up, cutting down space in close and meeting their opponents behind the gain line. Their aggression allows them to knock the ball carrier over, making it hard for the attack to gain go-forward and making it easier for the Highlanders to remain organised. Teams will often come at them for long periods, going through phase after phase, without creating an opening or gaining any ground.
To defend like this you need to be fit, accurate and relentless. The Highlanders are all three of those things, making them a tough team to score against. However, one area where they are susceptible is the rolling maul, which is the Brumbies' go-to weapon and something they do very well.
Well-rounded team
Possibly the Highlanders' biggest strength of recent times has been the versatility of the players in their squad. Not only are they all exceptional at doing their core jobs, the majority of them offer a second dimension to their games by threatening in other ways. Elliot Dixon and Tom Franklin are both outstanding in the tight exchanges, but are both just as effective with the ball in the open. Likewise Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo can be just as much a threat at the breakdown as they are with ball in hand in space. It allows the team to threaten from all over the park and makes it far easier for them to ensure they have the right players in the right places. The depth of this team cannot be overstated either, making it possible to make changes and cover for injury without losing too much quality.
They can win on the road
Playing outside New Zealand is not something that seems to bother the Highlanders. This year they have had five games outside of New Zealand and won four of them. In the one they didn't win they came up one point short, after a furious comeback against the Reds during their mid-season bad patch. Perhaps that record has something to do with the quality of overseas opposition, but it suggests having to travel overseas shouldn't strike too much fear into this group.
Solid scrum
Statistically, the Highlanders have the most successful scrum in Super Rugby this year, winning 97% of their own ball. Early on they were dominant in this area, pushing teams around and often destroying packs against the head. That dominance hasn't quite been there recently, but they remain a pack you can be confident of winning its own ball, usually on the front foot and without giving away penalties. Having a source of possession as sure-fire as that is huge, particularly when you kick a lot. It also means they do not give away many of the petty scrum penalties that are given out these days, which are often a lottery and can decide games.
The ability to create something from nothing
As much as the Highlanders play well as a team and have systems that suit their personnel, the thing that makes them especially dangerous and exciting is their X-factor. When nothing else is working, they are a team that can create a try at any time from anywhere. They have individuals who can break tackles or slither through the smallest of gaps, forcing the opposition to scramble, although when the Highlanders' support is good, they are hard to pull in after the initial break. Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith are particularly good at this, while Matt Faddes, Malakai Fekitoa and Patrick Osborne have all had memorable moments from instances such as these. Sometimes it's those one-off opportunistic moments that can turn a game on its head.
