- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
They might be significantly far from their Dunedin base, but cool temperatures are making the Highlanders feel right at home in Hong Kong.
The Highlanders arrived on Tuesday eager and ready to test out their combinations against a red-hot Racing 92 in the first of three pre-season games.
The Super Rugby champions were originally scheduled to play Toulon, but the French champions had to withdraw, paving the way for Racing 92 to take up the challenge.
Assistant coach Scott McLeod said the side had travelled well with no new injuries.
He added Saturday’s match was a great opportunity to play the first match between a northern hemisphere team and a southern hemisphere side in Asia.
“I think it’s a game a lot of the rugby followers have been keen for in terms of a northern hemisphere team versus a southern hemisphere team,” McLeod said.
“As much as it is a spectacle, we’ve got to get our rugby going.”
The Highlanders won’t have to search too far for familiar faces in the Racing 92 squad.
World Cup hero Dan Carter spearheads the club’s six-strong Kiwi contingent of Casey Laulala, Ben Tameifuna, Joe Rokocoko, Chris Masoe and Ross Filipo.
Carter told reporters in Hong Kong that he was keen to play, and should he take to the field it could set up a salivating clash against Lima Sopoaga in the battle of the first five-eighths.
Elliot Dixon, man of the match in the 2015 Super Rugby final, said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing class players such as Carter and Rokocoko but said they may be short of a gallop.
“It’s a bit different not getting 20 minutes (a break after each quarter). It’s the full 40, so I think the lungs will be blowing after that,” Dixon said.
Travel would also be a factor for both sides, as would fitness and Dixon conceded his side was running fit, pre-season fit, but were not game fit yet.
Racing 92 arrived in Hong Kong on quite a high. The club, based in the inner-Western suburbs of Paris, sits atop the Top 14 courtesy of a bonus-point 26-3 win over US Oyonnax. The victory included Carter’s first try in the blue and white hoops.
The French club is also sitting pretty atop their European Champions Cup group, seeing them qualify for a home quarterfinal against Toulon.
McLeod said there was plenty to get out of playing what is effectively an exhibition match in the pre-season.
“When you end up training against each other, you get to know each other’s play. We need to come up against different teams that’ll throw different things at us.
The match at the 11,800-seat Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground in Hong Kong begins at 10pm on Saturday (NZT).
The Highlanders have named 28 players for the match, including new signing Liam Squire starting at No.8 in his Highlanders debut.
Highlanders: Matt Faddes, Waisake Naholo, Jason Emery, Richard Buckman, Patrick Osborne, Lima Sopoaga, Josh Renton, Liam Squire, Shane Christie (captain), Elliot Dixon, Joe Wheeler, Tom Franklin, Josh Hohneck, Ash Dixon, Daniel Lienert-Brown.
Reserves: Greg Pleasants-Tate, Brendon Edmonds, Siosiua Halanukonuka, Jackson Hemopo, Sio Tomkinson, Liam Howley, Malakai Fekitoa, Tei Walden, Ryan Tongia, Marty Banks, Luke Whitelock, James Lentjes, Mark Reddish.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.