Withy's first day: 'I just wanted to pull the Stags logo onto my left tit'
The Southland Stags have named Sean Withy as its captain for the 2024 NPC season.
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Sean Withy’s much-anticipated return to Southland and the Stags became a reality on Monday.
Late last year the Highlanders loose forward confirmed - to the delight of Stags fans - that he would be returning to his home province of Southland for the 2024 NPC season.
After some time last week catching up with Stags coach Matt Saunders Withy joined the rest of the Stags squad on Monday for day one as group prepare for the start of the NPC season next month.
The former Southland Boys’ High School first XV captain headed to Dunedin after his schooldays and ended up playing for and captaining Otago at NPC level.
Withy told The Tribune it was a nice feeling to be back and getting to pull on some Stags gear on Monday.
“We had a mufti training today, but I got into full [Stags] kit, I just wanted to pull the Stags logo onto my left tit,” Withy said.
“I was obviously a little bit nervous coming in, I haven’t been into a new environment for four-five years.
“There are lots of familiar faces but also lots of new faces, new coaches, and a new setup. But it’s a pretty cool day to come back.”
“Tenth of August is not pencilled in; it is vivid in as one I’m targeting. To be running out for a debut against Otago in an afternoon game is the dream. I’m really looking forward to that one,” Withy said.
The official SBS Southland Stags season launch was held at the Invercargill Blues Rugby Club on Monday where Withy was confirmed as the new Stags captain.
Saunders had chatted to him about the idea late last year, but it was last week when the discussion between the pair turned serious.
“I guess it is something that he thought would be beneficial for the team for Southland moving forward,” Withy said about being asked by Saunders to take on the captaincy.
“It is something I’m keen to do but it is something a bit different coming into a team for the first time and being captain, so I’m mindful of that and how I go about leading.
“But I’ve got an experienced leadership group around me, Lurchy [Josh Bekhuis] is still there, and he is 130-odd games for the Stags and has been the captain in the past, so I will lean on him a lot. As well as guys like Dylan Nel, Isaac Te Tamaki, and Morgy Mitchell.
“I’m learning off them and to be a good leader you’ve got to be playing well, so that is my main focus at the moment is to earn the respect and the trust of the other lads by training well and playing.
“Because at the end of the day if you want to be a leader you’ve got to be one of the better players.”
Matt Saunders said Withy is keen to “earn his stripes” through the preseason rather than stamping his mark as captain straight away.
“He doesn’t want to captain early [in the preseason], he just wants to work hard. Josh [Bekhuis] was also really understanding about us looking to the future.
“Sean is just going to keep his head down for a month and work hard and make sure he is starting and doing his job,” Saunders said.
Withy is coming off a massive Super Rugby campaign where he nailed down a starting spot with the Highlanders.
He started the season on the blindside flank before finishing the season in the No 7 jersey.
It is in that No 7 role where Withy appears best suited and is a likely long-term openside flanker option for the Highlanders.
Withy joins a Southland setup which also has plenty of depth in terms of No 7 options with fellow Highlander Hayden Michaels in the mix, as well Leroy Ferguson.
Although it appears Michaels will miss the first four games - potentially longer - through an elbow injury.
“We are pretty happy with our looseforward depth,” Saunders said.
“Although Hayden is out until round four or five, so there’s Leroy and Sean [opensides], and then blindside there’s Blair [Ryall] and Sean and No 8 there’s Blair, Semisi [Tupou Taeiloa] and Dylan [Nel].”
The Stags will have two preseason hit outs before the round game against Otago on August 10 in Invercargill.
The first preseason fixture will be against Otago in Gore on Friday July 26 before a week later playing Tasman in Christchurch.
looking forward to stag day with this Squad