Mitch calls for continuity for Highlanders

Mitch calls for continuity for Highlanders
By MARC HINTON - RugbyHeaven.co.nz | Sunday, 23 March 2008

Former All Blacks and current Western Force coach John Mitchell has issued a plea on behalf of the beleaguered Highlanders Super 14 franchise.


It's time to stop the revolving door policy of player recruitment at New Zealand's southernmost professional rugby outpost, reckons Mitch, and high time to start building some continuity.

And it's hard to argue with the logic of the Force coach who has his team humming along nicely, on track to make the Super 14 semifinals in just their third year of existence. Already they've won four of five matches on the road this campaign (including Saturday's 36-28 defeat of the ‘Landers in Queenstown) and with five of their final seven fixtures at Subiaco they're primed for a serious tilt at the top four.

So, Mitchell clearly has a fair idea of what it takes to build a competitive outfit in this competition and after his side were put through the Highlanders wringer before emerging, via their now trademark late flurry, victorious in Q-town at the weekend, he was prompted to make this observation.

"We were very, very lucky. They'll put somebody away before the year's out," he said.

"It's important the NZRU look at ways to keep this group together," he added in reference to a Highlanders side he clearly had some respect for.

"Often Highlanders and Otago rugby are the recipients of draft footballers, and there is no continuity within the player group. As soon as somebody recognises that you need continuity in the player group down here, the greater the benefits will be for the Highlanders and Otago."

In other words, it's all very well bringing in talent via the draft, but if they don't come back again the following year, and the one after that, then so much of the hard work is wasted.

Amongst this crop of Highlanders the likes of Clint Newland, Isaac Ross, Hayden Triggs, Johnny Leota, Niva Ta'auso and Fetu'u Vainikolo have all come in via the draft.

Others, such as promising, but raw, young five-eighth Daniel Bowden and big-impact No 8 Steven Setephano have transferred, and will definitely be staying around for the rebuilding project.

You had to feel for the Highlanders in Queenstown, and the agony of suffering their fifth straight narrow-margin loss was written all over their faces afterwards. The eight points the Force prevailed by was the biggest defeat for the southerners so far, though aftter leading by eight heading into the final quarter the southerners were equally distraught at letting another one slip.

"It's gutting really," said coach Glenn Moore. "We just had to be a little bit more composed, but threw a couple of loose passes and paid the price for that really."

Added Landers skipper Craig Newby: "They're a good side. We played quite well most of the time and just let them in [at the end]. That's rugby, you've got to lose them sometimes. We're just going on a bad trot."

The Highlanders are now playing for pride only this season, beginning next Saturday when they visit the Chiefs in Hamilton.

But, if Mitchell's advice is to be heeded, they should also be laying some building blocks for the future.