Super Rugby: Waratahs says Highlanders’ resting gamble may backfire

THE Waratahs plan to expose a lack of cohesiveness in a Highlanders team that rested nearly half their starting team last week.

Ben Smith is one of six Highlanders rested last week in a policy the Waratahs say could hurt them.

RESTING six regular starting players last weekend could haunt the Highlanders on Saturday, Waratahs forwards coach Simon Cron has warned.

With the unpredictability of the Super Rugby conference system, the Highlanders had looked set to travel to South Africa for their quarter-final match this weekend, prompting coach Aaron Mauger to stand down fullback Ben Smith, halfback Aaron Smith, centre Rob Thompson, flanker Elliot Dixon, No.8 Luke Whitelock and hooker Ash Dixon from the squad that beat Melbourne Rebels in Dunedin last Saturday in preparation for the long-haul flight the next day.

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But NSW suffered a shock loss to the Brumbies, while the Lions defeated the Bulls in Johannesburg to finish second, which has set up a quarter-final showdown between the third-placed Waratahs and sixth-placed Highlanders in Sydney.

Ben Smith is one of six Highlanders rested last week in a policy the Waratahs say could hurt them.

“I can understand their challenge because they might have been heading over to South Africa but sometimes you can lose cohesiveness when you rest a couple of guys,” Cron said.

“I’ve seen it before, when you’ve gone into finals and people have been rested and they haven’t been as cohesive when they’ve come back in.

“I don’t expect that will happen to the likes of Smith, some of those guys who are seasoned professionals, but it might impact some of the others.

“And last time we played them they didn’t rest anyone, so we’re expecting a similar thing with their team this week.”

Meanwhile, after running the water from the sidelines last weekend, injured Waratahs captain Michael Hooper is set to sit in the coaches’ box this Saturday at Allianz Stadium.

“I don’t think he’s keen to do that again, he doesn’t like that job,” Cron said.

“Any player or competitor, when they’re running water and not being able to play, it can hurt you. It’s not fun to watch. He’d rather put himself in a box.

“I think if anyone, Hoops is probably more scared of him saying too much, so he’d rather not [deliver coaches’ messages], because he’s got to pick his time to step in.”

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Originally published as Super Rugby: Waratahs says Highlanders’ resting gamble may backfire