It has been a season of injuries, and lock is now the potential crisis point ahead of a challenging trip to Canberra to play the Brumbies on Sunday.
Just one specialist second-rower, in fact, is presently fit — and while Josh Dickson is a very fine player, he has not played a huge amount of rugby this year for family reasons.
The situation was highlighted in Friday night’s loss to the Chiefs when the Highlanders finished the game with loose forwards Hugh Renton and Shannon Frizell in the second row.
Dickson and Max Hicks — still relatively untested at this level, and a lock/flanker option — are available for selection this week, and veteran Southland lock Josh Bekhuis has been called back in to train with the squad, but Fabian Holland and Will Tucker are out, and there is doubt over Pari Pari Parkinson.
Tucker was a late scratching from the Chiefs game after initially copping a head knock in Wednesday training, Highlanders assistant and former All Blacks lock Donnelly said yesterday.
"He didn’t feel too bad, and he trained at the captain’s run, but afterwards he developed a few symptoms and got worse over the next couple of days."
Parkinson has lost weight through a viral complaint and did not train yesterday.
The saddest news is the likely loss for the season of rising lock Holland.
The giant Dutchman missed the start of the campaign with a calf complaint and was heading for a scan yesterday on a hamstring injury.
"Hamstrings can be anywhere from four to six to eight weeks, depending on how severe it is. We might see him again, we might not."
Holland, still just 20, is noticeably bigger this year, his first as a fulltime professional.
Donnelly shut down any suggestion it might have been a case of "too much weight too soon" for the wonderful young prospect.
"I have full trust in our strength and conditioning and our nutritionist. They’re in total control of that.
"He’s just a big human that’s grown a bit this year. He’s a great kid, and he’ll do everything he can to be on the field and do what’s best for the team.
"He’s still a very young man, and he’s still growing. He’s still finding his feet a little bit.
"He’s put on a lot of weight this year, but he is so diligent with his rehab, his prehab and his recovery, so there are no concerns for us. He’s just having one of those tough runs where he’s had a few injuries and you can’t sort of find your way into form because you’re always having a bit of a setback."
That sort of sums up the Highlanders’ lineout.
The best in the entire competition last season, it has dropped to eighth in 2023, the drop-off largely down to injuries that meant chopping and changing each week, Donnelly said.
"If you can get consistency of selection, you get better and better as you go. We’ve probably been in a tough situation where every week we’ve had an injury to a lock or a lineout leader. It’s been quite hard to get a bit of a rhythm.
"It’s not through lack of work. The boys are working really hard on it and understanding what we need to be doing."
Donnelly was happy to offer his thoughts on the topic of the week.
Former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith caused a stir when he said modern men’s rugby was becoming unwatchable thanks to excessive focus on mauling.
"For me, as a forward, it’s a massive part of the game," Donnelly said.
"The amount of detail and work that has to go into having a very good maul, and also being a very good defensive side, is massive.
"Smithy was a first five. He loves running rugby. I’m a tight forward, so I probably enjoy mauling and scrummaging a wee bit more.
"That’s what makes our game so beautiful. There are some parts that suit some people, and everyone has their opinion on how the game should be played."
Donnelly acknowledged the lineout maul could be hard to referee but had no problem with teams utilising the tactic if it was a strength.
