How patient will the Highlanders faithful have to be?
“I don’t want to go around trying to buy All Blacks. I think it’s more around growing what we’ve got."
There were plenty of moments that probably prompted frowns among the Highlanders’ decision-makers on Friday night.
For the second week in a row, the Highlanders conceded 50-plus points. This time a 52-15 thumping at the hands of defending champions the Crusaders.
One moment when those frowns might have appeared was in the 49th minute with the Highlanders down 38-3.
The Crusaders introduced reserve halfback Noah Hotham from the bench.
It was the 19-year-old’s Super Rugby debut and it game against the Highlanders which was initially part of.
Hotham captained the Highlanders under-20 team last season before opting to make a shift to the Crusaders.
On the face of it, the Highlanders are well-resourced at halfback with Aaron Smith and Folau Fakatava. Big deal you may say.
But the Highlanders have lost its last 12 games against New Zealand teams and are in a hole.
Those inside the Highlanders tent themselves acknowledge a key route out of that hole it is through its development programme.
Retaining its best young talent and growing it.
Names like Sean Withy, Fabian Holland, and Saula Ma’u have been identified as the future. Hotham was once part of that group.
New Highlanders head coach Clarke Dermody is very much in the camp that its development programme is vital in future success.
“I don’t want to go around trying to buy All Blacks. I think it’s more around growing what we’ve got, we’ve got an awesome programme going at the moment that Kane Dury is heading up,” Dermody told Newstalk ZB in the lead up to the Crusaders demolition.
“We’ve had a lot of under-20s in the last couple of years that have been in pivotal positions.
“We’ve got to grow those guys over the next two to five years and be in a position the other [teams] are like now, without throwing the chequebook at people that might be coming for the wrong reasons.”
But how long will that realistically take? And is there the patience to play the long game in seeing the Highlanders become a force again?
“I guess it’s also being smart in recruitment to bolster where we need to in the next two or three years until that group of young players are ready. It’s definitely something we’ve looked at over the last year since I started in this role,” Dermody said.
“Everyone wants to win. We are definitely not saying, we are not going to compete. I feel like with the players we are putting out we definitely should be better… As long as we are improving and put ourselves to make playoffs when that rolls around.”
In reality, when you are dealing with a five-team New Zealand rugby setup the best talent should naturally end up being spread throughout. In theory at least.
People will shift for a job as a professional rugby player. It’s about the Highlanders landing the ones that have got a lot of improvement in them.
Aaron Smith was far from a star when then-Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph plucked him out of Manawatu in 2011.
The year before Smith was part of the Blues’ wider training squad but couldn’t get any game time.
The Highlanders’ next chance to shake off its horrible start to 2023 will be against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday night.