Highlanders face play-off crisis
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph is facing some serious selection posers in the wake of his team's humiliation at the hands of Super Rugby's runaway leaders, the Hurricanes.
As if shipping more than 50 points were not enough, he has lost two more locks and now have a serious second row crisis.
Tom Franklin and Alex Ainley became the latest additions to the second row injury list – which also includes Joe Wheeler (knee) and Mark Reddish (hand).
It means Joseph is down to some utility forwards, rather than specialist locks, ahead of the final round of league action – when they face the Blues in Auckland on Friday.
Joseph – who rested the star All Black trio of Ben and Aaron Smith, as well as Malakai Fekitoa – started the match against the Hurricanes with a host of players on the injury list.
Apart from the locks, Shane Christie (hamstring), Hayden Parker (shoulder), Kane Hames (knee), Nasi Manu (shoulder), Patrick Osborne (calf) and Josh Renton (hamstring) were unavailable.
"It looks like we've lost Tom Franklin for the season," Joseph said in his post-match briefing.
"He's ruptured his bicep and Ainley's twisted his knee, it looks like an MCL.
"We've already lost three locks – with Wheeler [knee] probably for the season. He's jogging around now, but he certainly won't be ready next week. Reddish is out with a broken hand – so that's three of four, then Ainley who has been a real find for us."
Ainley played out the 80 minutes against the Hurricanes but was limping badly after the match.
"We just hope he doesn't wake up in the morning too sore," Joseph said.
"Reddish we thought it was a scaphoid, he's got a crack in his hand. He's still in a cast, but hopefully we can accelerate that cast removal.
"That's not good going into the final stage of the competition.
"Fortunately [replacement lock] Joe Latta came on and had a big game.
"What does that all mean? We have to dump this game [the loss to the Hurricanes], look forward to the Blues and hopefully secure a home quarterfinal."
