The Silver Fern

Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister
Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi
Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland
Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson
Halfbacks: Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham
First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie
Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai
Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, Ruben Love

Injury cover: Christian Lio-Willie (for Luke Jacobson), Emoni Narawa (for Anton Lienert-Brown)

Unavailable due to injury: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Sam Darry, Peter Lakai, Stephen Perofeta.

Here we are team. Brodie Mcalastair the big bolter here.

Huge surprise to see a 28 year old hooker handed a place in the squad. Especially over Bell.

Thrilled that Razor's gone for some bold selections. No Havilli, Blackadder, Christie and Papalii are big calls but not ones I'm upset over.

On the other hand I'm stoked super rugby form has been rewarded and Big Jim and Kirifi got call ups.

Norris is a well deserved call up. And it's great to see Tupea back in Black.

Don't think Reece offers much over a few other wingers, but get why he's in the mix. Suspect we'll see him dropped for Finganuku later in the year.

@Bovidae It's wild to me how poorly handled Ayden Johnstone was. 122kg easily the most consistent scrummager perhaps behind De Groot we've had since Kane Hames and an absolute physical menace. With the right coaching easily could have been an All Black.

Daniel Lienert Brown suspended for three games with a chance to reduce to two through training programme.

Bender has said EDG & Ma’au are looking like they’re available for selection this weekend.

TUJ is signed through to 2026, Manson is too, Kneepkins confirmed to be extending but no length of contract known and Gilbert off contract.

@antipodean we've spent a long time wasting and poorly developing depth.

Harry Plummer, Otere Black and Fergus Burke all went overseas right on the cusp of National Selection. Probably in part because they didn't see a realistic pathway to game time.

Brett Cameron and Stephen Perfoeta should absolutely both have more caps than they do - if nothing else just to build depth. Josh Ioane if wasn't....well Josh Ioane should have too. Zarn Sullivan is intently talented and should be being developed into a long term 10/15 and yet can't even get game time at the Blues.

Bryn Gatland Mitch Hunt. Kaleb Trask. Rivez Reihana are/ were all solid Super rugby squad members. Maybe not starting first fives but not the sort of players we want to be losing. Hunt and Gatland are already gone, and I can't see a scenario where Trak and Reihana stay long term.

Highlanders invested in Freddie Burns and Rhys Patchell. While both were solid players (more so Patchell than Burns) I strongly feel any one of the above first fives would have been a better fit for the team than looking overseas.

Then the young generation - Aidan Morgan, AJ Falefaga, Cam Millar and Taine Robinson all seem to be young players thrown to the wolves too early for one reason or another.

In fact of Harry Godfry Lucas Cashmore, Taha Kemara and Josh Jacomb only two of the four have looked consistently comfortable at super rugby level and all needed to be developed more than they were before shoved into starting roles. (Cashmore probably an outlier here as he hasn't seen that much gametime).

Looking past 2027 I fear for our future. I can' see Perofeta sticking around if he gets limited game time which seems likely. I like the look of Jacomb but feel he might need another season. I fear they'll rush him into the team at the expense of Perofeta.

So come 2028 who do we have? Damian Mckenzie and possibly Josh Jacomb. Maybe Ruben love if he get's developed as a 10. An injury to Damian Mckeznie and we have a serious problem.

Also given our season is over. Do we need a new thread for 2026 Season?

@akan004 could be they're holding spots for Tangitau and Parker?

Death, Taxes and a DLB penalty.

@Bones yup as an injury replacement got a couple of games for each Franchise from memory. He was an injury replacement / transfer to the Bulls in 2009 when they won the title and won a second title with the highlanders in 2015. The ultimate journeyman.

Outside of Vikenna felt everyone else had a phenomenal game. Huge ticker and unlucky not to get the win.

EDG had an exceptional game. Feel like when he's in a leadership role he goes up a level. Taylor had his best game in a Landers jersey. Telea was a monster and Robinson a few errors aside had a great game. I think Lowe probably earned himself a contract extension with that performance too. Lennox performed well on the wing too.

Huge shame we've lost Nareki for next week. I'd throw Caution to the wind and gave Mason another shot. Put Bell on the bench for Vikenna. Other than than that I'd probably keep things pretty similar.

@upthelanders based on his performances after 2021 you would hope not.

@frugby I quickly think we won't get an Ugly win without Cam Millar featuring. I remember a few games last year we shouldn't have won he absolutely pinned the opposition in their half with his kicking and we ground them down defensively. I'd like to see that again.

@Canes4life we were so desperate for outside backs in the 22/3 season I don’t blame the highlanders

He was a ‘big’ powerful winger who was willing to commit to three years in the south. Not many were willing to do that. So it made sense back then.

Then we attracted decent players that outshone him, and people started shutting on him.

What a mover Hastie has been this season. If you'd asked me three weeks ago which halfback should be dropped at the end of the season he'd have been my pick. Now he's the one guy I think we can't loose.

Gilbert outside of being isolated that one time, has been great. Nice to see his defence has improved this season. Fantastic work from the team the back 20.

@taniwharugby probably have a few issues here.

The first issue is that we put all our eggs in the Beaudy and DMAC basket. We played approximately fourteen games last season, right? Split that into twenty-eight spots (starting and bench) for a first five. And you had Perofeta get three or four games from memory (two of which were at fullback), and Plummer got one.

So essentially, your third- and fourth-string guys are competing for 3–5 games a season—possibly not even at first five, and more than likely just cameos for a couple of minutes off the bench. (Plummer’s All Blacks career didn’t even involve touching the ball, did it?)

But if you start focusing on depth, then suddenly your starting guys are fresher and, in theory, have longer careers due to less attrition. Your third- and fourth-string guys are competing for eight or ten spots a year between them—maybe even more when you throw fullback into the mix. Even if those appearances are just fifteen to twenty minutes off the bench, that’s still a significant improvement.

Suddenly, over three or four seasons, you’ve got twenty- to thirty-cap All Blacks who are your third- and fourth-string guys. Maybe even a fifth-string bloke with a couple of caps too. Spread your talent across franchises, and suddenly your Super Rugby competition looks healthier.

Imagine a scenario where last season Harry Plummer was at the Blues, Stephen Perofeta at the Highlanders, Brett Cameron at the Canes, Fergus Burke at the Crusaders, and DMAC at the Chiefs. In that case, Perofeta might have eight to ten caps, Brett Cameron two or three, and Fergus Burke either one or two caps deep—or at least an established All Blacks XV player. Burke signs on until 2026, Plummer until 2027, and Perofeta on a deal to 2028. We retain all three first fives longer in New Zealand, all franchises perform better (tell me the Highlanders wouldn’t have won a couple more games with Perofeta at the helm this season).

Young guns like Cashmore, Millar, Jacomb, Godfrey, and Kemara are developed over longer periods, and we don’t lose any of them until post-2028.

De Groot Ruled out with an Ankle Injury. DLB into the starting lineup.

Safe to say I no longer believe we'll win.

Highlanders Lean on Youth for Crusaders Clash

Injuries, especially among experienced players, continue to plague the Highlanders, and on the eve of their DHL Super Rugby Pacific game against the Crusaders, they have lost wing Jonah Nareki to a torn meniscus.

Article here with a couple of interesting pieces of info - Adam Lennox is seen as a player of the future for the highlanders. Which presumably means Hastie is gone next season.

JJ mentions Nareki will be given some time off to get ready for the 2026 super rugby season. Which to me indicates he’s been re signed.

Daniel Lienert Brown has been an absolute liability as per usual.