Everything that happened at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as the Queensland Reds defeated the Highlanders. To take against the Reds, the Highlanders have selected a considerably rotated squad. All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot, who started last week’s loss to the Rebels off the bench, is back in the starting lineup. Lock Oliver Haig comes into the loose forwards at No. 6, while Captain Billy Harmon switches from openside flanker to No. 8.
James Arscott and Connor Garden-Bachop have taken Folau Fakatava’s and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens’ places on the bench and in the starting lineup, respectively. Ajay Faleafaga moves to the bench and is replaced by Cameron Millar in the No. 10 shirt. Jonah Lowe is injured and Tanielu Tele’a returns to centre field.
Highlanders 1-15: Ethan de Groot, Ricky Jackson, Saula Ma’u, Hugo Plummer, Pari Pari Parkinson, Oliver Haig, Sean Withy, Billy Harmon (c), James Arscott, Cameron Millar, Jona Nareki, Sam Gilbert, Tanielu Tele’a, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Connor Garden-Bachop.
Reserves: Henry Bell, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Rohan Wingham, Will Stodart, Nikora Broughton, Folau Fakatava, Ajay Faleafaga, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.
Based in Dunedin, the Highlanders are a professional rugby union team from New Zealand that plays in Super Rugby. The Otago, North Otago, and Southland unions are represented on the squad, which was established in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the recently established Super 12 tournament. The Scottish immigrants who established the areas of Otago, North Otago, and Southland in the 1840s and 1850s are credited with giving rise to the epithet “Highlanders.”
Throughout the 2011 Super Rugby season, Carisbrook in Dunedin served as their home field; on occasion, they also played at Invercargill and Queenstown. Forsyth Barr Stadium in University Plaza, Carisbrook’s successor, opened in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup but after Super Rugby season, and the Highlanders moved in for the 2012 campaign. News for The Daily Rugby
They placed seventh at the end of the first season, then after winning just three of eleven games, they ended last in the second season. However, in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons they qualified for semi-finals; hosted the 1999 tournament final against rival South Island team the Crusaders. They lost the game 24–19, and the Crusaders eliminated them once more the next year, this time in the semi-final. They would only place in the top four once again in the next fifteen seasons, in 2002. However, they defeated the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium in 2015 to win the Super Rugby title.
Aaron Smith, a current Highlander, has participated in 176 games with the club in record time, while 47 other players have played in more than 50 games. With 866 lifetime points, Lima Sopoaga leads the Highlanders in scoring, while Waisake Naholo leads with 45 career tries. Billy Harmon is their current captain, while Clarke Dermody is their coach.
The Super 12 included five New Zealand clubs when the Highlanders franchise was established. The North Otago, Otago, and Southland provincial rugby unions came together to become the Highlanders, a franchise that originally played on the lower South Island of New Zealand and was known as the Otago Highlanders.
Gordon Hunter was the coach and John Leslie was the captain of the 1996 squad. On March 3, 1996, they played their debut Super 12 game at Carisbrook against the Queensland Reds, whom they beat 57–17. The Highlanders were leading the competition and unbeaten after three games. But the next week, they lost to Northern Transvaal 59–29 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa. They concluded the season seventh on the table, winning just two more games that season—at Carisbrook against Natal and at Lancaster Park against the Canterbury Crusaders.
The Highlanders’ least successful season to date was 1997. They only secured three victories and came in last in the competition. Taine Randell was now their captain, while Glenn Ross served as their coach. Among their eight losses that season was a 75-43 setback against Natal in Durban. Gavin Lawless scored 50 points for Natal, setting a tournament record.Tony Gilbert took over as coach after their 1997 season ended in last place.