The 2012 Super 15 regular season has come to a conclusion with the Highlanders finishing ninth on the table, boasting a record of nine wins and seven losses.
The table placing may not do justice as to how competitive this year's team was, but the win-loss record certainly does. More games were won than lost in 2012, the first time in nearly a decade this has happened.
There were plenty of positives to come out of the season that should be retained for next year, while there were also a handful of negatives that need to be dealt with.
Things the Highlanders did well
Strong start to the season: For the first half of the competition the Highlanders were right up there with the best teams in the competition. They were winning games on a regular basis and knocking over heavyweights teams like the Chiefs and the Crusaders. The physicality and intensity they were bringing at this stage was outstanding and was reflected in their winning record.
Counter-rucking: This has become something of a trademark of Highlanders rugby over the past two years. They attack the breakdown with great positivity. Even if it is being policed tightly, numbers are committed as they look to literally smash their opponents at this facet of the game to win ball. Consequently, opposition ball was turned over frequently and provided many attacking opportunities.
This physical style may have taken its toll on the players in the end, but the tactic is one that needs to be kept as it is executed so effectively and forces opposing teams to rethink their game plan when they come to play the Highlanders.
Closing out close games: This was the difference between this Highlanders team and those of years gone by. For many years the Highlanders were prone to letting games slip through their fingers and lose by a few points. This year they reversed the trend and the close games were being won, in the majority of these the team having to come back from behind in the final 15 minutes.
Wins over the four New Zealand teams, Bulls, Waratahs and Cheetahs were achieved through this ability. While it may only be a couple of extra points on the scoreboard, doesn't it make a world of difference when reflecting on the season?
Strong play in the loose: In the games the Highlanders won, the loose was generally an area where they were dominant. The loose forwards were outstanding all season and were rarely bettered, although it does help when the pack as a whole does such a good job at ruck time.
Nasi Manu was outstanding from the word go and continues to improve on the promise he showed when he made the trek south. He led the competition in ball carries and was the leading forward in metres gained with ball in hand. But he isn't just a ball runner, possessing a high work rate and doing plenty of work at breakdown time too.
Adam Thomson was equally good, ranging well and making some outstanding tackles at crucial times. John Hardie was missed after he was lost to injury, but he will be back for 2013 and if he can continue to play the same rugby he did this year he will be a key to the team's future success.
Positive attitude: This is possibly the biggest thing Jamie Joseph has brought with his return to the south. The team now plays with more confidence and isn't afraid to take on their opponents in any area of the game. They aren't discouraged from playing their natural game by anyone, whereas in previous years they could tend to go into a shell against stronger teams. This is something that still needs some tweaking, but in overall this has been a good influence on the Highlanders game.
Things to work on
Play more intelligently: This ties into idea that the positive attitude still needs some tweaking. While it's great to see a Highlanders team willing to have a go from anywhere on the park, they need to ensure what they are doing isn't reckless. Kicking has been frowned upon in recent years as it has been said to be giving the ball back to the opposition. But there is a difference between kicking intelligently and kicking the ball away. It is an option that needs to be used more, as too often points were conceded from trying to run the ball from impossible situations.
Likewise, too often they would look to go wide too early without doing the hard work up front first. It wasn't a coincidence that when the pick and go and one off runners were used the team looked better and the backs had more space.
It can be said that by doing these two things opportunities may be missed. That's true. But a good team knows when to kick, when to run, when to keep it close and when to go wide. If the Highlanders are really deserving of the tag ‘contenders' they should be able to make the right decision.
Set piece: This was a source of frustration for the majority of the season. Set piece has traditionally been a strength of the Highlanders, but it proved a weakness for much of 2012. The scrum in particular struggled, getting pushed around by nearly every other scrum in the competition. This was improved immensely when Maafu Fia was brought in later in the season.
The lineout wasn't so bad, but it was inconsistent. Adam Thomson was a safe bet here early in the season but as this got too predictable, teams began applying more pressure and ball was lost. The short lineouts were good in the latter part of the season and generally saw the Highlanders win their own ball. With set piece being such an important part of the game, this needs to be sorted for next year.
Put together a full season: As was the case in 2011, the team started well but failed to kick on. Close games that were being won early on were being lost and the intensity that had been there seemed to be somewhat diminished. That's not to say they weren't trying, it just seemed as though the physical game plan took its toll and they weren't as energised as they had been. Injuries didn't help either, but most other teams could say this too.
Kickoff receptions: This increasingly became a problem as the season progressed, to the point where it was costing them games. It's not an easy thing to take a well-placed kickoff. But it is such a fundamental skill that needs to be executed well right from deciding who will catch the ball to the halfback or first five-eighth clearing it. If this isn't achieved, it hands the opposition the ball in prime attacking position and so often points are conceded. When you've just scored, the last thing you want to let the other team back in the game. It was something that the Highlanders didn't do well at all in 2012 and will need work for next year.
Get the back three into space: With the likes of Hosea Gear, Kade Poki and Ben Smith out wide, the Highlanders boast one of the most lethal finishing back threes in the competition. But they aren't used nearly enough. Gear in particular needs to be put into space more. He had a high work rate this year, leading the competition in running metres and trailing only Nasi Manu in ball carriers. But too often he had to go looking for this work. He needs to be put into space to unleash; we've all seen how devastating he is when this happens.
Be more clinical: The final work-on comes in simply being more clinical. Opportunities come few and far between in this competition. What is key is taking the ones that are presented. The Highlanders didn't do this enough this year and consequently games that should have been won went begging. Above all, this was the main difference between the top teams and the Highlanders.
