Last week on The Roar, David Lord suggested that Scott Higginbotham could have made more of an effort to support hard-working captain Samu Kerevi during the Reds’ 29-17 loss to the Waratahs.
Looking at Higginbotham’s stats for the game, Lordy was absolutely right.
Seven runs for five metres and three tackles is an anemic effort for a No.8 of Higginbotham’s calibre, a player who many have rated and still rate as the best in Australia in that position.
In this week’s winning effort against the Sunwolves, Higginbotham slightly improved his defensive work rate with seven tackles (and one miss), but still only managed six runs for a slight improvement in metres gained to 16.
Still pretty modest, especially when lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto managed 17 runs on top of dealing with the rigours of being in the engine room of the scrum.
Perhaps Higginbotham has fallen into the trap of complacency after handing over the captaincy to Kerevi?
Perhaps he thinks that at 32 years old and without having had much luck at Wallabies selection under Michael Cheika, that this opportunity is passing him by?
Whatever the case, Higginbotham looks as fit as he ever did and he can do far better than he has in the last couple of games.
I hope he gets selected for next week’s game against the Brumbies at Suncorp, because I want to see the real Scott Higginbotham back.
I want to see the bloke who makes game-changing statements like whacking a South African centre so hard to shut down an overlap and an almost certain try, that the sound of the hit reverberates into the stands and the ball is coughed up.
I want to see the bloke who last year intercepted a Tahs pass to diffuse another overlap, to bullock up the park and set up a try for the chasing winger.
We saw a bit of that bloke with a monstrous tackle on a Sunwolves attacker this weekend, with Higginbotham peeling the bloke backwards away from the try line and preventing the ball being touched down, but he can only be really influential if he gets far more involved.
Higginbotham has a bloody long highlight reel from his 12-season Super Rugby and Wallabies career, and perhaps he isn’t that far off the end of it, at least with the Reds.
But there is no reason why he can’t add to it.
The season so far has showed that the Reds have a couple of excellent developing young playmakers at No.10 and No.15 in Isaac Lucas and Hamish Stewart, who both create space for big ball-runners.
Lucas’ fast feet in his first couple of games are already breaking the line and keeping defenders guessing, while Stewart takes the ball fearlessly to the line and has perfected getting the pass away right on contact.
Higginbotham could latch on to either of these lads during attacking phases and have them set him up to punch through any defence in the competition, getting the Reds’ attack rolling for tries.
He has the experience and the Reds need him to use it to their best advantage.
We don’t know whether or not this is going to be Scott Higginbotham’s swansong at the Reds and whether he is a real chance for Wallabies selection.
Though as Lordy pointed out, with the new national selection arrangements, he would surely have as good a chance as any if he does his best.
But he should do his best anyway, because imagine the personal satisfaction of being the difference that proves the doubters wrong and gets this young Reds team into the finals for the first time in six seasons.
We fans will be waiting expectantly in the stand to see the real Higgers back in action on Saturday night.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I’ve never commented on how good he was at his prime here (but last year I noted he was playing very well and regularly was calling for him).
Geoffrey
Guest
Stop the nonsense Twas .Higginbotham is a bigger better stronger more all rounded version of your favourite player Hooper. Higgers isn't that old mate. Get over it. We know what you meant.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
You know the Rebels played the Lions on the weekend, not the Reds right?
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
It beggars belief that NRC player of the year Caleb Timu did not get a run against the Lions. He is a brutal tackler, explosive runner, off-loader and a high workrate player who should have been the Wallaby #8 when Pocock was injured. Brad's failure to put a forward of Caleb's calibre on the field at all against the Lions is further proof of his incompetence... not that it's needed. Also, Daugunu is a far better player than Naivalu
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
A straw man is a form of argument and an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent. One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man. Are you at all aware it's you in fact that's created a straw man argument. Bosley's article was saying Higgers isn't playing as good as he did. I've said it might be because he's getting old. Riddler said Parisse is older. I simply asked if he was consistently playing as well as he used to. Nothing to do with whether Higgers is, or isn't too old to play at test level.
Obes
Guest
Geoffrey you forgot Beale and Simmons who are 30 this year.Oh and Kieran Read is 33 and Owen Franks is 31. Age is not a barrier for selection TWAS. You are old enough you are good enough TWAS.
Geoffrey
Guest
Don't start " the players being too old for a Wallabies" strawman argument TWAS as you will lose it. Facts are as below. Kepu is older (33) TPN is older ( 34 in July) , AAC is older (35) Hunt is same age (32) Cooper Genia are (31 ) DHP Foley Phipps Folau are all 30 this year. Stop TWAS. just stop the nonsense.
jeznez
Roar Guru
You know we only won three games in that sequence. Go back and look at his tackle stats, number of runs and run metres or are you the one that is lazy?
Wadsy
Guest
WOW so he won one twice against the AB`S in 10 years?? OMFG. Was he even a starting player then? I doubt it. All the other blokes did the hard work before he came on. The bloke is a nuffy and lazy. He played like he was 95 kilos rather than 120 kilo.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Is Sergio as consistently good as he was 4 years ago?
riddler
Roar Rookie
give me a 4 year older sergio any day of the week and especially on the weekend over higgers. 32 is not that old.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I can never seem to edit, but I was going to add... showing glimpses every now and again...
Hoy
Roar Guru
I think we once again buggered a players development. Rubbish game plans, terrible expectations mixed messages etc. He could have been a very good, long term number 8. Instead, he is the shadow of what he could have been.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Thanks Sinclair. I agree that Higgers probably hasn’t had enough of a go at test rugby. Some of the problem may be that Hooper has occupied the number 7 spot, necessitating players who are stronger at the breakdown at 6 and 8. Ideally Higgers would be paired with Pocock and a hard edged 6 and allowed to wider roam in attack, as Toutai Kepu suggested in one article. It certainly would have helped the Wallabies attack last year to have a player like him bending the line. I’m not sure national duties for Higgers are going to happen now, but like I said you never know with the new selectors and there is a Super Rugby season to play in the meantime. He may as well try to make it a memorable one.
Boomeranga
Guest
It's be great if Higgs could show some form and be our 8 man.
peterj
Guest
I work with a British guy and we talk about that tackle about once a week. WHAT A HIT!!!
riddler
Roar Rookie
cheers jez. remember started to see it when new laws came in. thanks for the explanation mate. appreciate it.
soapit
Guest
mate if hbum had hoopers level of execution of skill and quick decision making he'd be right up the tp of rugby backrowers. i just think after all this time he just doesnt have his game balance sorted, not executing offloads or not choosing the right time to do them.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Ahh Higgers probably just needs a decent fly-half to run off.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You reckon the 14 blokes around him contribute to that too? One of the last games he played vs them he had 11 carries for 43 meters 7 tackles with 1 miss, 2 defenders beaten. Hardly toweled up.