Highlanders prop Ethan de Groot got an unexpected rest last weekend and has freshened up for his head-to-head battle with Crusaders tighthead Fletcher Newell.The loosehead was a late scratching for the Chiefs’ game.
The burly bookend tweaked his ankle leading into the match and though he tried to push through, he could not quite get there.
The Highlanders were well-beaten 46-10 in Hamilton.
Their playoff prospects are teetering.
But a win against the Crusaders in Dunedin tomorrow night would help lift the camp.
"Yeah, the mood is just we want to get better and we know our game is capable of it," de Groot said.
"It’s just about getting the belief back into the group that our game works, and when we stick to that plan we put ourselves in spots to win games."
Asked about the scrum and how it is going, de Groot took a second to consider — and his answer suggested there was plenty to work on.
"It’s a funny one.
"We’ve got some young hookers in the middle of our scrum and hookers are a big part of our scrum.
"It’s probably just a change of mindset around getting our [tight] five and preparing accordingly throughout
the week.
"This weekend is going to be no different. It’s going to be a tough battle up front, especially against their pack.
"It’s an All Black tight-five, pretty much. They’ve got some quality players in their pack so, yeah, it’s definitely a team that we pencil in and this is the Southern derby we’re after."
De Groot’s contest with Newell will have a big impact on how the scrum contest plays out.
"Yeah, it’s always a big one against me old mate Fletch.
"He’s been doing some big shifts for the Crusaders. We’ve scrummed together and we’ve scrummed against each other, so we kind of know each other’s traits.
"I know it’ll be a tough battle."
The Highlanders posted a memorable 32-29 win in the fixture last season, but they have won only two of the past 12 games against their great rivals.
