With the Highlanders set to kick off their Super 15 campaign against the Crusaders this weekend, ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at who will be filling the various positions within the team.
Outside backs
There is not a whole lot of change here with the key acquisition coming in Taranaki flyer Waisake Naholo. Ben Smith, Patrick Osborne and Richard Buckman all return and should hold their starting positions. Between them there is firepower to burn, along with the safety and tidiness that you need out of your back three nowadays. Smith in particular will be vital. His ability to pick out gaps on the counter is second to none and he has shown himself to be deceptively difficult to tackle. Buckman too possesses a deceptively dangerous ability with ball in hand, but will also chase hard and is as good as anyone under the high ball. Osborne provides the flair and punch where necessary and has the ability to offload as well, while Naholo will fill a similar role when he is called upon. Kurt Baker is a solid player who needs a big season after last year's underwhelming effort, while Trent Renata has performed well in the past despite a poor showing for Otago in last year's ITM Cup.
Midfield
Shaun Treeby and Malakai Fekitoa will be the starting duo once again. As a pair they form a very good midfield; Treeby's tidiness contrasting with Fekitoa's X-factor. Perhaps that is underselling Treeby, as he can carry the ball strongly through the middle and create. When paired with Fekitoa though, he tends to take more of a conservative approach, making few mistakes and getting the ball to the ace outside him. That is with good reason, as Fekitoa has a knack of running great angles with and without the ball, while also running them hard. Along with his speed and strength, this makes him one of the most difficult players to tackle in world rugby. Defensively he is strong too, for the most part making good reads at the right times. Backing them up is the still young Jason Emery, who received limited time this year due to the successes of Fekitoa, rather than anything he did wrong.
He is a good option taker and runs hard at the line, while also possessing an impressive offload in both directions. There is no other specialist cover, although Ben Smith and Richard Buckman are both capable of playing centre if need be, while Tei Walden is included in the wider training squad.
Inside backs
There should not be too many problems here either. In Aaron Smith and Fumiaki Tanaka the Highlanders have two fast-passing halfbacks who bring experience and can provide good service under pressure. Smith in particular has come a long way in the past two years and now is prominent in his running, support and kicking game. You would not want either to get injured though, as the only cover comes from the wider training squad's Josh Renton, who is probably still a few years off.
The quality at the base should help the first five-eighths, of which the Highlanders boast three high level ones. None are quite in the elite, but all are (or are capable of being) good players at Super Rugby level, with the potential to go further. Lima Sopoaga should get the nod initially after an impressive 2014, but Hayden Parker will not be far off and Marty Banks has made his intention to claim the starting jersey clear too. All three are exceptionally good goal kickers, while also being capable of creating with ball in hand, meaning they will get the most out of the dangerous backline.
Loose forwards
Nasi Manu and Shane Christie were two of the Highlanders best last year, so it will be no surprise to see them start the season as first-choice players. Manu makes a huge impact from No. 8, going forward in contact and making plenty of tackles, while Christie was outstanding in his defensive work rate and improving running game. Keeping John Hardie out of the team was no mean feat for Christie, as Hardie himself has a similar high rate and possesses a strong linking game too, although was dogged by injury last year. With both players returning the Highlanders have two terriers at openside flanker.
Who will fill the No. 6 jersey is not quite so clear. Gareth Evans and Elliot Dixon both put forward good cases last year as hard workers, Evans perhaps a little more prominent in the loose, while Dixon remained fairly tight. Neither truly made the jersey their own though, so the competition continues. Northland's Dan Pryor will offer another great option. A strong runner in the open and industrious in tight, Pryor has a well-rounded game and could be used in any of the three loose forward positions where necessary. He was a steal for the Highlanders and it is surprising he has had little chance to stake his claim at this level.
It is a good overall make-up though, possessing a combination of workers, speed, impact, ball runners and skill. There is depth as well, which will be important with such a demanding schedule.
Locks
Lock is a position the Highlanders have traditionally been strong in and 2015 should be no different. Joe Wheeler and Tom Franklin worked their way up the pecking order last year and finished the season as the Highlanders top two in the position. Both are physical players who get through a huge amount of work in their tackling and cleanouts, while also providing safe targets in the middle and back of the lineout. Franklin brings a good skill set in the open too, while also being one of the better locks in the country when it comes to securing kickoffs.
There will be plenty of competition for them though, with new-signings Mark Reddish and Alex Ainley both providing quality options. Reddish is another hard worker who adds physicality and go-forward, also providing cover on the blindside. Ainley joins the team after an impressive campaign with Tasman, ranging well and being part of a very strong tight five.
Props
The key question marks over this team will come in the front row, more specifically in who will step up to fill the tighthead prop position. With the departure of the ever-reliable Chris King, the jersey is well and truly up for grabs, with only Ma'afu Fia returning from last year's outfit. Fia brings mobility and picked up his game halfway through last year, although there may still be question marks over his scrumming. Ross Geldenhuys could be a good option, the South African native showed himself to be a prominent ball-runner with Tasman and formed what was a strong set-piece.
Other newcomers include Brendon Edmunds, Josh Hohneck and Pingi Tala'apitaga. Kane Hames should hold on to the No. 1 jersey after an impressive 2014 where he had a high work rate and was strong at set-piece until the team capitulated in that area in the final three weeks.
Hooker
Hooker is the other position with a question mark hovering over it heading into the 2015 season. Liam Coltman is the only returnee of last year's group, while Ash Dixon joins the team after having played for both the Hurricanes and Blues. There are no doubts over Coltman's ability around the field, although he is prone to the odd mistake. He brings a very straight-up approach to the game, going forward and playing hard. His lineout throwing is another matter though and while you do not want to reduce a player's value to just one area of the game, it is just so important to win set-piece ball that it is something that has held him back.
Ash Dixon on the other hand starts for Hawkes Bay ahead of the Highlanders form hooker from last year, Ged Robinson. Dixon is another tough player who is strong carrying the ball and capable of making an impact, while probably also being a better thrower. You can certainly count on both to keep going around the field, but the lineout could yet be a telling factor in who gets the starting position.
