After it originally looked as if the Highlanders might be without more than a dozen players for next Tuesday night’s clash with the British and Irish Lions, because of All Black and Maori All Black commitments, the team will now feature plenty of talent.
Hansen included five Highlanders in the All Blacks yesterday and then allowed two of them — winger Waisake Naholo and first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga — to play next week, as they need match practice.
He has also allowed hooker Liam Coltman — who was included as injury cover for the squad — to play. The southern franchise will have bruising centre Malakai Fekitoa in its line-up after the Tongan was not picked for the All Blacks and was not named as an injury back-up. But the Highlanders will still be without three All Blacks — Ben Smith, Aaron Smith, and Liam Squire, who is injured anyway, and their five Maori All Blacks — locks Joe Wheeler and Tom Franklin, hooker Ash Dixon, loose forward Elliot Dixon and midfield back Rob Thompson.