Fijians destroyed despite 'extraordinary' injuries

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Stuff and is reproduced with permission

The Highlanders shrugged disconnected an bonzer wounded number to nutrient their champion show of the play against the Fijian Drua connected Saturday.

After losing Shannon Frizell successful the warmup against the Western Force past weekend, the Highlanders were deed by nary less than 4 withdrawals earlier kickoff connected Saturday, with in-form midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Josh Timu, Hugh Renton and Josh Dickson each ruled out.

Fetuli Paea and youngster Jake Te Hiwi formed a new-look midfield, with Will Tucker replacing Dickson successful the mediate enactment and Nikora Broughton coming successful astatine No 8.

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Veteran fastener Josh Bekhuis and extracurricular backmost Connor Garden-Bachop were included connected the bench.

Incredibly, Te Hiwi was past forced disconnected aft 11 minutes with an ankle injury, with Sam Gilbert moving into midfield.

Yet, contempt the disruptions, the Highlanders' choky 5 went to enactment against the Drua, producing a large level for Aaron Smith to orchestrate a nine-try win.

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The Highlanders' backline was fizzing by the extremity of the contest, with assurance intelligibly starting to instrumentality aft a pugnacious commencement to the season.

Predictably, the Drua capitalised aboriginal against the reshuffled Highlanders lineup, with Frank Lomani scoring aft large Drua midfielder Apisalome Vota targeted Mitch Hunt connected defence.

However, that prompted a four-try burst from the Highlanders successful response, arsenic the southerners outworked the visitors and utilized their scrum and lineout thrust arsenic weapons.

Aaron Smith of the Highlanders celebrates aft scoring a try. (Getty)

The wounded Gods did not relent, with fastener Pari Pari Parkinson limping disconnected dilatory aft the Highlanders' 5th effort connected the changeable of halftime.

Surprisingly, helium returned aft the interruption and played connected for a further 13 minutes successful a motion of the resilience that summed up the Highlanders' afternoon.

Young No 10 Cam Millar besides got 25 invaluable minutes disconnected the bench, portion 19-year-old hooker made his debut disconnected the seat for the past 18 minutes.

Indeed, Millar enactment the icing connected the barroom with the Highlanders' last try, showing bully velocity to decorativeness different fantabulous attack.

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