Smylie spots gap, Cowan relegated

Only one match into the Super 14 rugby season and competition between the two Highlanders halfbacks has already started to boil.

The electric Chris Smylie has forced coach Greg Cooper's hand after his performance as a replacement last weekend, which sees All Black Jimmy Cowan relegated to the bench for Friday night's fixture against the Blues in Dunedin.

Cooper named his team today with the only other change in the front row, where Nick White replaces prop Clarke Dermody who suffered a neck strain during the first round loss to the Crusaders.

Former All Blacks loose forward Andrew Blowers, who was favoured to play against his old teammates, was ruled out after suffering minor headaches from a pre-season knock.

Already Cooper has signalled that complacency won't be accommodated as they look to secure their first points of the season against the winless Blues.

"Jimmy played reasonably well, but Chris came on and I thought he did some very good things so he's been given an opportunity and hopefully he can take it," Cooper said today.

"Chris is a very competitive player, he's a quality young player who's looking to build on a very good NPC season. He's got a good head on his shoulders and I'm sure he'll keep growing."

But Smylie, the 2005 NPC division one player of the year, has also been put on notice.

Despite constantly peppering the Crusaders defensive line, Cooper noted his tackling had come under scrutiny.

"He's aware of a crucial missed tackle that led to a try that gave the Crusaders a break.

"While he made some impact down one end, he recognises he also has to make sure the defensive stuff is done as well so he's been working on it."

Smylie's tackling lapse seemed to be contagious within the Highlanders as Cooper noted they missed three one-on-one tackles that led to tries.

Dropped ball also afflicted the side, and those facets needed sharpening at Carisbrook -- otherwise they faced severe punishment from a Blues side that Cooper believed let a win slip against the Hurricanes last Friday.

"We spilt the ball right on the last pass and that's unacceptable because we had broken down the Crusaders defence which is not an easy thing to do.

"We did it on a number of occasions, but then came away with no tries so we have to be more accurate."

"The Blues are a quality side. If we present them with chances to score they'll punish us because it was game (against the Hurricanes) they let get away."

Besides securing some points to kick-start the season before they commence a three-week road trip in South Africa, which will include Blowers and Dermody, the Highlanders also have motivation to regain the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy.

Hunter, who coached Otago and the Highlanders between 1992-96 and later coached the Blues, died of cancer in 2002.

"It's important that we put in a strong performance out of respect for Gordon and his family.

"But it's also important that we remain emotionally in control.

"Given the importance of the trophy you can lose some control and make rash decisions so we have an obligation to get ourselves mentally and physically right."

Highlanders: Ben Blair, Vilimoni Delasau, Neil Brew, Seilala Mapusua, Roy Kinikinilau, Nick Evans, Chris Smylie, Craig Newby, Josh Blackie, Hoani MacDonald, James Ryan, Tom Donnelly, Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver (captain), Nick White.

Reserves: Jason Macdonald, Chris King, Filipo Levi, Tim Boys, Jimmy Cowan, Callum Bruce, Richard Kahui.

- NZPA