Super Rugby starts in just a couple of weeks, but not for Andrew Hore.
The Highlanders skipper still has time to serve on a five-week ban for blindsiding Welshman Bradley Davies on the All Blacks end-of-year tour.
But in his absence the Highlanders still have plenty of experience to call on.
He might be condemned to the sideline for the next four weeks, but that doesn't mean he is taking it easy on the training paddock.
“Obviously it's a thing,” he says. “I got myself in trouble there. So get out there and all the training is pretty good, so hopefully just keep out there. I suppose the big thing is not being in the right position. Obviously I’m not playing a game for a while, so [I will have to] get the feel of that. So the training gets that sorted and I’ll get out there when I get my chance.”
That's not the ideal build up for a new-look Highlanders team that now carries a higher level of expectation with a roster full of All Blacks.
“We've battled away pretty well the last couple of years, and last year we played some good rugby at the start. So the key for the Highlanders is to hang in there at the end not drifting off. We've got some good players on paper. We've got to make sure we gel as a team and put some good rugby on the park.”
While Hore might be absent, this weekend's first round of pre-season fixtures will see the return of Brad Thorn to New Zealand rugby.
And the World Cup winner will be celebrating more than just representing the province of his birth for the first time, but also his 38th birthday.
“To be this age and still playing is pretty cool,” says Thorn. “I don't take it for granted. I realise I'm pretty lucky. There's probably a lot of luck involved with me still playing.”
With a bit more luck Thorn could help bring the Super Rugby title to the Deep South for the first time.
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source: newshub archive
