Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has rewarded his round-one heroes with another\u00a0opportunity to create an early stir in Super Rugby this week.<\/p>\n
Joseph has made just one change \u2014 and it is an entirely predictable one \u2014 to the team that\u00a0started the win over the Crusaders.<\/p>\n
All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot replaces Josh Bartlett in the line-up to start against the Chiefs\u00a0at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
The only change on the bench is the introduction of Sosefo Kautai for veteran prop Angus\u00a0Ta\u2019avao, who is on compassionate leave following the death of his son.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s very hard to change a winning team, after beating last year\u2019s champions, so I feel they\u00a0deserve another opportunity,” Joseph said.<\/p>\n
It means another chance to see a Highlanders back three of rare potential.<\/p>\n
Remarkably, last week was actually the first time Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Jona\u00a0Nareki and Caleb Tangitau had started a game together.<\/p>\n
Tangitau was spectacular in his first season in Dunedin but succumbed to injury just as\u00a0Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens was completing a comeback from a broken neck, and Nareki has\u00a0battled several injuries in recent years.<\/p>\n
Joseph, like the team\u2019s fans, is eager to see more of Tangitau after last year\u2019s excitement and\u00a0a sublime finish for a try against the Crusaders.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s a player with massive potential, just growing every game.<\/p>\n
“The key for Caleb is to stay on the field. He\u2019s a Ferrari out on the wing . . . just keep those\u00a0tyres filled with air.”<\/p>\n
The popular “Choc” Nareki will play his 50th game for the Highlanders this weekend.<\/p>\n
When fit and firing, he has a mix of intelligence, energy, attacking ability and even kicking\u00a0skills that only elite wingers possess.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s massively important,” Joseph said.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s had some injuries that have prevented him getting into the top condition that quality\u00a0players need if they want to push for higher honours. I feel sorry for him in that respect.<\/p>\n
“From a Highlanders perspective, he\u2019s one of our best players and has been since he\u2019s been\u00a0here.<\/p>\n
“The important thing for Choc is to stay injury-free. We train him a little differently to some\u00a0of the guys.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s a pretty relaxed sort of guy but his rugby is different when he puts the boots on.”<\/p>\n
Highlanders co-captain Hugh Renton will again play for the Bravehearts this weekend.<\/p>\n
He played 40 minutes for the second-stringers in their season opener but is still short of Super\u00a0Rugby readiness after nearly a year out with injury.<\/p>\n
“I think he\u2019ll need another game at least, if not two, to get his body used to playing rugby\u00a0again, and to get that confidence, because he\u2019s a very physical player.”<\/p>\n
Lucas Casey remains at No 8 after a steady start to his Highlanders career, while wider squad\u00a0prop Rohan Wingham \u2014 who started when Joseph made a late tactical switch against the\u00a0Crusaders \u2014 is again in the No 3 jersey.<\/p>\n
All Blacks winger Leroy Carter starts on the wing for the Chiefs, while loose forward Simon\u00a0Parker is on the bench.<\/p>\n
Emoni Narawa also makes the bench for the electric winger\u2019s first action since puncturing a\u00a0lung playing for the All Blacks against the Springboks at Eden Park.<\/p>\n
The teams<\/p>\n
Highlanders: Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Caleb Tangitau, Jonah Lowe, Timoci\u00a0Tavatavanawai (captain), Jona Nareki, Cameron Millar, Folau Fakatava, Lucas Casey, Sean\u00a0Withy, TK Howden, Mitch\u00a0 Dunshea, Oliver Haig, Rohan Wingham, Jack Taylor, Ethan de Groot.\u00a0Reserves: Henry Bell, Josh Bartlett, Sosefo Kautai, Will Stodart, Veveni Lasaqa, Adam Lennox,\u00a0Reesjan Pasitoa, Tanielu Tele\u2019a.<\/p>\n
Chiefs: Etene Nanai-Seturo, Kyren Taumoefolau, Daniel Rona, Quinn Tupaea, Leroy Carter,\u00a0Josh Jacomb, Xavier Roe, Luke Jacobson (captain), Jahrome Brown, Kaylum Boshier, Tupou\u00a0Vaa\u2019i, Josh Lord, George Dyer, Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho, Jared Proffit. Reserves: Tyrone\u00a0Thompson, Benet Kumeroa, Reuben O\u2019Neill, Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Simon Parker, Te Toiroa\u00a0Tahuriorangi, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Emoni Narawa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has rewarded his round-one heroes with another\u00a0opportunity to create an early stir in Super…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289829,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-289828","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}