Is he the best Highlander who has walked this earth? Is there anyone better?
Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at a top 10 of Highlanders.
Ben Smith
2009-17
125 games
Fullback
In 125 games, one would be hard pressed to think of a match in which Ben Smith has not played well.
Perhaps against the Blues at Eden Park in 2011. But by and large, Smith has been supreme.
The best thing about him is he just gets better. That is the hallmark of the best players. The performance indicator is always on the upward trend.
Smith does the basics well and can also be called upon to do the spectacular.
Some players get weighed down by the burden of captaincy but, since he become the Highlanders co-captain in 2014, his game if anything has gone to even loftier heights.
Safe defensively and sound under the high ball, he can spy an opening from many metres away.
He was instrumental in getting his side through to the final in 2015 and had a stormer in beating the Hurricanes to take the title that year.
Now signed on to 2020, he could play more than 150 games in the Highlanders jersey.
Placing: Numero uno
Anton Oliver
1996-2007
127 games
Hooker
The front rower who could throw out words and quotes just as well as rugby balls was a rugged player who never backed down to anyone. Super around the field and a real ball of muscle in the rucks and mauls. His size and speed always made it hard for him to be cut down and was he consistent at making the advantage line. Mentally strong after receiving plenty of knockbacks in his career and he could have played more games for the franchise but for injury.
There was the Achilles heel of the lineout throwing but was it really that bad? And what hooker would front the Holmes programme the day after a loss and explain a wonky throw or two. It wouldn’t happen these days.
Placing: Terrific two
Jeff Wilson
1996-2002
72 games
Outside back
When your nickname is Goldie then you either have blond hair or are very good. For Wilson, it was both, though there is a bit less of the hair these days. Wilson was a one-man action machine and sparked so much out of nothing. He had it all and scored tries and got into positions which he had no right to get into. Wilson actually nearly played as many tests, 71, as he did matches for the Highlanders. He was probably at his best at fullback where he could get more involved and never seemed to play a bad game.
Placing: Talented three
Aaron Smith
2011-27
101 games
Halfback
When Aaron Smith arrived in the South in 2011, few had heard of him. He looked to have a bit of go but there were plenty of rough edges to his game.
But he came back in 2012 and was a markedly better player. It looked like he would get past Jimmy Cowan by mid-season. It took him 40 minutes — coming on in the second half of a pre-season match against the Chiefs in Queenstown and changing the game.
A bullet pass and good sniper around the ruck, Smith has been a pivotal player in the success of the Highlanders in the past few seasons.
His ability at times almost becomes ho-hum and is the norm. But is super fit and his game is built for the roofed stadium.
A shame there have been a few off-field incidents and he sometimes tries too hard, but he is a joy to watch.
Placing: Thrilling four
Adam Thomson
2006, 2008-2012
68 games
Loose forward
Took a while to crack Super Rugby but had a breakout year in 2008 when his form was so good for the Highlanders, who were struggling, he went all the way into the All Blacks. Super fit and fast, Thomson popped up all over the park. In some games, it was like he was grabbing turnovers at will. He was a nuisance for other teams with his ability to snatch the ball.
Scored some cracking tries and also gets a thumbs up for resisting the evil empire up the road and staying true to the Highlanders in late 2010. There was the question of a lack of bulk but like he said once he had been hearing that since he was at high school.
One wonders how much better the 2013 season would have been if he had stayed around.
Placing: Fabulous five
Tony Brown
1996-2004, 2011
91 games
First five-eighth
The current coach was an original Highlander and part of a side which was heavily involved in the playoffs for a decent period from 1998. Much is made of Brown’s bravery on defence but there was bucketloads more to him than that. He ran the ball up hard and also was not a bad tactical kicker. Most of all, it was his ability to get the best out of what he had. You can see why he has gone on to be a good coach. He played some top games and lifted those around him.
Placing: Super six
Carl Hayman
1999-2007
81 games
Prop
If Hayman had stayed around and not left in 2007 for Newcastle he could have quite easily played 150 games or more for the Highlanders.An excellent scrummager who just kept getting better the more he played. Sat behind Kees Meeuws to start with but when Meeuws headed back to Auckland he was the cornerstone of the scrum. Surprisingly agile for a big man, Hayman became an automatic selection for the national side and there was a lot of worry around when he left at age 27 to play overseas. Talk of buying him a farm to get him back to New Zealand was a tad desperate. Bought a farm anyway, after playing in France for years. Now coaching in France.
Placing: Superb at seven.
Taine Randell
1996-2003
77 games
Loose forward
Many criticised Taine Randell but he was a victim of politics above him.
Randell was at his best when he was playing No8 and did the basics very well. He was a guy who made very few mistakes. Coaches want guys who on a scale of one to 10 in performance always give an eight. That was Randell. He never put out a bad game.
When he took the ball into contact he never turned it over. Missed tackles were few and far between. Randell was not a overly flashy player. He just did the percentages and did them damn well.
Placing: Energetic eight
Jimmy Cowan
2003-2012
108 games
Halfback
Cowan came out of Southland and was tough, rugged and energetic. But there was more to his game than his much vaunted defence.
He could kick well from the base of the scrum and had a surprising turn of pace. Popped up all over the field and scored some nice tries.
Nice passer of the ball, too.
Had a few issues off the field but grew up and became the Highlanders captain for a couple of years.
Probably played his best game in the jersey in 2009 when the Highlanders went to Palmerston North to play the Bulls. Cowan was on fire that day as the South Africans were smashed.Played 100 games for the franchise and bowed out with his head held high at the end of the 2012 season.
Placing: The No 9 is No 9
Simon Maling
1997-2004
66 games
Lock
Maling had a bit of an apprenticeship with the Highlanders behind the likes of John Blaikie and Brendon Timmins but rose to prominence eventually. Donk, as he was known, was one of the best lineout operators seen in the south. Not overly tall, at 1.97m, or big, at 110kg, he nevertheless had subtle skills which he used to grab the ball at lineout time. That came from plenty of study and thought and time out on the training paddock. Unfortunately picked up injuries at just the wrong time and that blighted his All Black career as for a couple of years he was quite clearly the stand-out lineout forward in the country.
Placing: Tall timber at 10
Others
Players unlucky not to crack the top 10:
Lima Sopoaga: Took a while to get going but has been one of the best in the past four years
Chris King: Played 107 games for the Highlanders. Honest as the day was long, was King
Josh Kronfeld: Played just 46 games for the Highlanders but all motion in them and a great link man
Tom Donnelly: Quality lineout forward who never shirked any action. Buried in the dark stuff for much of his career.
Craig Newby: Never-say-die attitude and a rugged defender. Very quick around the field.
Malakai Fekitoa: Has his critics but his defence was a massive reason the Highlanders won it all in 2015
Jamie Mackintosh: Looked down upon because of his scrummaging ability but wasn’t that bad and was a good leader and team man.
Carl Hoeft: Played 98 games for the side and hardly a dud among them. Not the flashiest but ever reliable and did the hard yards
• What do readers think? Email sport@odt.co.nz and give us your thoughts on who is the best Highlander of all time.